Mend These Broken Wings
by Goldberry
Summary: Earth is threatened by a race that is only interested in world domination. Heero and Relena are drawn into a web of power and drama as they try and save the world... and themselves. [1xR,2xH,3xC,6x9]
1. Come Swiftly, Death....

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm not making any money off this. It is solely for entertainment purposes.   
  
Author's Note: Well, I must say this is my best idea for a fic yet. It's going to be many chapters and I hope to do at least a chapter a week. This a fantasy/adventure/romance kind of thing. It is placed after Endless Waltz and it will veer into magic sorts of stuff but I will stay true to the time period and the characters. It is my usual 1xR and there might be more pairings, I haven't decided yet! * wink * So, here it goes! Enjoy and review!  
  
  
  
Mend These Broken Wings  
Chapter One: Come Swiftly, Death....  
  
  
Relena stood stock still in a corner of the darkened room, her breath coming in short rasps. A small sign that she was close to panicking, and she knew that was just what he wanted. Her stubborn streak demanded that she not give in, that she not let him know that she was afraid. She clenched her hands in together in an attempt to calm their trembling and pushed herself closer to the wall, her senses in hyperdrive as she gazed futilely around the room, looking for her attacker. It had all happened so suddenly. She had opened the door to her room only to be pulled inside by a masked man who quickly flipped the lights off. Over the past few years she had gotten quite good at getting rid of assassins and she wasn't about to let this one get away with anything. Bringing her leg up and around she karate kicked him right in the stomach, a move she hoped wouldn't kill him but would buy her time to get away. He had grunted and released her but he stood between her and the door so she had fled to the other side of the room, looking for an escape route. A jump off the balcony would give her two broken legs and she had never been much of a climber so a slide down the drainpipe would probably kill her. There was nothing else to do but to use the darkness to her advantage and hide in the shadows until she could escape or until someone came to check on her. Which should be soon as Heero was only content until a small clan of guards had gathered outside her door. Before she had been exasperated over Heero's overprotection, after all she already had a big brother, but now she was grateful that he had a guard walk by her room every ten minutes. If only she could last that long...  
  
"Princess, I hope you know you are making this extremely difficult." Came the low voice of the masked man somewhere to her left. She whipped her head in that direction, feeling her heart beat wildly in her chest. She couldn't see him and she wondered if he knew where she was. "If you had simply embraced your fate this would all be over."   
  
Relena kept silent and still. She couldn't understand why this man was talking to her, except that maybe he wanted to trick her into saying something that would reveal her location. She had no intention of doing that so she made herself as small as possible and looked towards the door. Light drifted in under it and her sky blue eyes focused on it, wishing she was out there instead of in her bedroom.   
  
~Please, someone, walk by, please...~  
  
"Come out, princess." The dangerous voice whispered close by. "Come out and I promise I will make it quick, painless, very little blood. Which is more than anyone else will offer you."  
  
Relena blinked at the man's words but ignored them, concentrating on the door. Sure, Heero seemed to be leading her towards a death from heartbreak and the world wouldn't be sated until she had been drained of energy, but what did this man know of her life? He didn't know anything about her. He had probably just been hired by some kind of hidden organization that wanted her dead, and was offering a lot of money to anyone who could do the job. She wondered how much her life had been worth to this man.   
  
Suddenly her eyes widened as she saw a person's shadow outside the door. The person seemed to hesitate and Relena knew this was the only chance she would have to get help. Taking a deep breath, she screamed and threw herself towards the door.   
  
The minute the first breath of sound had left her throat, her attacker leapt for her but she had thrown herself to the right and he caught only air. Relena sprinted for the door just as it slammed open. Wild eyed and frightened, she crashed into the guard who caught her with one arm, his other pointing a gun into the darkness at the unseen foe.   
  
"There's a man in there." She gasped, "He wanted to kill me."  
  
The guard pulled a grenade from his belt, pulled the bolt, and threw it into the room. He then leapt for Relena and they both fell to the floor as her room exploded. At the same time, the ship's master alarm went off and people burst from their rooms, shouting and running.   
  
Relena stood shakily as the guard slid off her, and for the first time, Relena saw clearly who it was.   
  
"Heero." She said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "What's going on? I thought it was just another assassination attempt."   
  
Heero arched an eyebrow at the world 'just' but didn't give a reply. He simply grabbed her hand again and jerked her down the hall, weaving between people who yelled out for someone to explain what was going on. Heero didn't stop until he had dragged her to the flight deck where Duo was shouting out orders to a stunned crew.   
  
"What's going on?" Heero asked, his level voice reaching Duo even over the noise of the alarm. The braided pilot looked towards them and his face relaxed as he noticed Relena.   
  
"So she's all right then." He said, relieved, before going on in a more serious voice. "Maintenance found a bomb on board. We're trying to disarm it but we're evacuating just in case." He paused. "We've got ten minutes." A wailing crew member next to him caught his attention and he turned away, barking orders. "What do you think you're doing, man? Get everyone out of here and to the escape shuttles. Go, now!"  
  
Heero didn't waste a second. He grabbed Relena's arm again and sprinted from the room, giving her no choice but to keep up with him. His mind was focused now, a mission in sight. Get Relena to an escape pod and make sure she got off the ship. Even if the bomb was deactivated it would still be safer to get Relena off the ship, just in case. He had a hunch that the man in her room and the bomb were connected, though he couldn't see the purpose behind it. Whatever it was, Relena would be safe with him.   
  
As Heero pulled towards the opposite end of the shuttle towards the escape pods, Relena called out to the confused people around her.   
  
"Don't panic! Everything will be all right. There are some complications with the ship and were evacuating to be safe. Head towards the escape shuttles!"  
  
Some heeded her words and made mad dashes for the shuttles, others continued to look around blankly until a crew member urged them to evacuate. As they neared the escape shuttles it was plain to see that people were not thinking clearly. They pushed and shouted to be the first in the pods and things were getting a little rough. Ignoring the first shuttles, Heero led her to one of the smaller pods that hadn't been filled yet. He pushed her inside just as Duo came trotting up.   
  
"I pulled the plug on the deactivation. The bomb is triggered to blow no matter what we do. " He said, glancing at Relena. "Hope you didn't leave anything really important on board."  
  
"No, Heero all ready blew up my room." She joked, shakily. Heero jerked a thumb towards the pod.   
  
"Get in Duo, we don't have much time."  
  
Just as Duo stepped into the pod, there was a sound of gunfire and Duo stumbled against her, a bullet lodging itself in his foot. He cursed under his breath and Relena caught him, her face going white.   
  
"Duo!"  
  
Heero turned to find the gunman standing not thirty feet away, pistol pointing directly at Heero's heart.   
  
"Well, well, well, I see we're all fleeing to safety. Too bad none of you are going to make it off this ship."  
  
Relena stiffened as she recognized the voice of her attacker earlier. A wave of anger swept through her even as she supported Duo.   
  
"What do you want?" She spat. "You must know that your bomb is going to explode. Do you want to die?"  
  
The gunman laughed. "Oh, princess, death comes to us all. My mission was to destroy you." - Relena jumped at his choice of words. - "And I will see you dead if it costs me my life."  
  
"Why?" She asked, softly, "Do you really hate me that much?"  
  
"War is life. I can not live without war." He growled back, and aimed his gun at her. Immediately time slowed for her. She saw the gunman focus his sight on her and she felt Duo shift, ready to take another bullet for her. But it was Heero that made her scream. He turned slowly and punched the button for the door hatch, watching it close instantly with a sealing hiss. She met his gaze through the tiny glass window and she knew. She knew what he was going to do.   
  
He looked at her tenderly for a moment, all the feelings he had never expressed, welling in his eyes for her to read. She cried out as he mouthed the words, "Good bye, Relena."   
  
and punched the release button...  
  
"Heero!" She screamed, her voice unrecognizable with the currents of her grief. "Noooooooooooooo!"  
  
  
Time leapt forward.  
  
The escape pod burst from the ship and she stared unbelieving at the field of stars that quickly filled up the tiny window. She had stopped breathing, her mind focused completely on the ship in front of her. She reached out her free hand vainly towards the window just as the ship exploded in a red-orange fireball that blew debris outward with the force of the blast. As the shockwaves reached the pod, she was thrown back, still supporting Duo and she lost sight of the ship as the world tilted crazily.   
  
Relena threw back her head and gave the keening wail of a woman who had just watched the man she loved, die...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
* clears her throat * well, what did you think? It's not the end people...*rubs her hands together gleefully * and it's not a deathfic either, k? It's 1xR for heaven's sake! Got some cool Relena action coming, she's going to kick some butt! Next chapter will be out the end of this week! Please read and review and thanks for reading!  
~twilightshadow~  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
Look for Chapter Two: Rising From the Ashes  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Rising from the Ashes

Disclaimer: Not mine....yada yada yada  
  
Author's Note: I've got to tell you guys that I'm very excited about this fic! * giggles happily * I can't hardly wait to write it all! Uhm, some new stuff going on here, no 1xR just yet but be patient, its coming. Well, go on and get reading and don't forget to review.   
  
  
  
Mend These Broken Wings  
Chapter Two: Rising From the Ashes  
  
  
three years later...  
  
  
Rena entered the bar silently, letting her pale blue eyes take in the people in the room. Most of them were outlaws, homeless gunslingers made so by the Imperial Order. The war had not been kind to them. Hell, it hadn't been kind to anyone. The day Earth and the Colonies had been invaded had been the day mankind had lost their peace. Their freedom. The hordes of the Order had swept down on them and their had been no mercy. Those who had survived were forced to become slaves for the new Empress or become outlaws in their own world. Destined to live short lives and long deaths.   
  
The Imperial Order had come from a neighboring star system that was very advanced in military technology. And they weren't human. They did basically look like a human, but their skin sparkled like it was dusted with diamonds and their eyes were slanted like a cats. Their hair was usually a pale green or blue and it wasn't denied that they were a handsome race. Bloodthirsty and beautiful, their starships had destroyed the unarmed colonies with ease. And everyone knew there were no gundams...It had turned out that Princess Relena's pacifist ways had caused the downfall of ESUN and mankind. Without weapons they could not fight back and the only one who might have led them was dead.   
  
So was Relena Peacecraft.   
  
It was rumored that she had died about three years ago, just before the first wave of Imperial soldiers of the race of A'rateken, invaded Earth. Some said it was of a broken heart, others that she had been a victim of an assassination attempt. Either way, she was gone, and a new leader rose in her place. Rena Bladeheart, called the Black Dove by some, an outlaw who carried a unique laser whip and led a band of rebels against the A'rateken. A toughened soldier that stood for the last hope of mankind. A last chance of reclaiming the tattered world that had been stolen from them.   
  
Using guerrilla warfare tactics she led her small band of rebels against the A'rateken troops, sabotaging their ships and systematically killing their officers until the A'rateken had grown a strong hatred for the group. The world was at war again and there was no end in sight.   
  
Rena Bladeheart took a seat at the bar calmly, motioning for the bartender to bring her the usual. She tugged her dark cloak closer around her to hide the laser whip at her waist and the amazing display of daggers that were hidden in various places about her person. She usually didn't come to places like this but it was the best way to learn what was going on and the rebels could use any advantage they could get.   
"Anything new today?" She asked the bartender as he slid her drink to her. He shook his head.   
  
"It's been surprisingly quiet the last couple days." He said, going back to polishing the bar. "They seem to be focusing on something other than troubling us normal folk."  
  
Rena allowed a slight smile to cross her face before looking down into the amber liquid in front of her. "Any ideas?"  
  
"Not really. I'm just glad that they-" He broke off as the doors to the tavern suddenly burst open with a supernatural gust of wind. Nearby patrons shivered and cowered in their cloaks as a tall figure passed them, his sights on the bartender.   
  
"A Battle Mage." The bartender mumbled under his breath to Rena. She nodded once, she had known the moment the A'rateken had walked in. She knew all the mages by heart, having had run ins with them several times. The Battle Mages used a peculiar form of magic that had something to do with magnetic fields and the energy that radiated from the planet and the sun. Their wonders were quite breathtaking to see and the Mages were not to be taken lightly. There were four of them and, when assembled all together, they would be unstoppable. Good thing they squabbled among themselves or the rebellion would never have stood a chance.   
  
This ones' name was Takuya.   
  
"I am looking for the rebel known as Bladeheart. The Empress is offering a reward to anyone who has information as to her whereabouts." He announced, suddenly. His voice like a snake slithering through tall grass. His slitted pupils gazed around the room, and when no one stepped up, he focused on a teenage girl next to him. Without moving a finger the girl floated up and over to him. The poor girl stifled a shriek as the Mage reached out a glittering hand and captured the girl's wrist painfully. "Well, if no one here wants to talk then I shall have to...interrogate this young woman to get the truth. I'm sure she will tell me what I want to know."  
  
"We don't know anything!" The girl's mother cried out angrily. Takuya threw her a pitying glance.   
  
"Well, then, you shouldn't mind if I talk with your daughter. If she has nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear."  
  
He turned away, girl in tow, and Rena rose smoothly, knowing he would sense the movement. He did, and his response was to throw the girl to one side and turn to fire an energy blast at her. It missed her and she snapped her wrist, letting her laser whip fly out and sting his cheek. He growled and she called the whip back as blood dripped down his face. He reached up a hand and touched the cut, a grim smile on his face.   
  
"You see?" She said, softly to the people around her. "They bleed just like us."  
  
Then, before he could react, she took a flying leap through the nearest window, landing outside in a shower of glass shards. A fire blast followed her but she rolled to the side and it exploded harmlessly in the street. Rena disappeared into the shadows as a growl of fury erupted behind her.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
  
Everyone had changed with the coming of the Imperial Order. The rebels under the leadership of Rena Bladeheart had shed their past selves for new identities in the changing world.   
  
Duo Maxwell's name had been erased. He was known now only as the God of Death, and only the rebels dared use his real name. He was a war general and, when exhausted, he still sometimes limped from a old injury. Surprisingly, he still retained his sense of humor and he was almost the only one who could draw a smile from Rena Darkblade.   
  
Trowa Barton was now the masked weapons specialist that supplied the rebellion with high tech assault weapons. He spoke little but he never been a one for big speeches. He came and went with the wind, but his loyalties would always lie with the rebellion.   
  
Quatre Winner had lost eleven sisters to the A'rateken, some taken away as slaves, others killed in countless battles. His surviving family had been relocated to safe houses where the rebellion offered their protection. He had matured gratefully. He had lost the little boy face and replaced that with the strong face of a man who had resigned himself to war. His eyes were harder now, filled with the pain of giving up his dreams of a peaceful life. Still, he served in the role of tactician and he had never steered any of them wrong.   
  
Wufei Chang was their fiercest warrior. His demand for justice was a bottomless pit he filled with the blood of his enemies. He was never satisfied after a battle and the only one who could hold him back was Sally Po, their best spy. She desperately waged her own battle to save some part of the Chinese warrior's humanity and so far, she had managed it.   
  
Catherine Bloom had been taken as a slave a year and a half ago. She had become Trowa's private mission and they all hoped that she was still alive.   
  
Hilde had the A'rateken running scared. She and Duo had been working secretly on a war machine they said would come in handy someday. They told Rena little about it, for the less everyone knew, the better. It was more than half-finished but no one had seen it yet.   
  
Milliardo and Lucretzia Peacecraft were off organizing other rebel forces in other areas. There hope was to raise an army that would have a chance of fighting the A'rateken military.   
  
Dorothy had disappeared.  
  
  
Duo looked up as Rena entered the underground compound looking angry and exhausted. He watched her for a moment, noticing anew all the changes that had taken place in the last three years. She was thinner now, her light frame curved as was fitting of a girl of twenty one. Her hair was long and the same brilliant dark gold he had always known, but her eyes were a different story. They were no longer a merry sky blue, but a pale blue-silver that reflected only sorrow. Her personality was different, too. She no longer laughed and asked all her curious little questions as she had done years ago. That seventeen year old girl was gone. It saddened him immensely to see her like this. He knew that after Heero's death she would change, but he hadn't expected her to lock herself away like this. She had denounced her name and taken up a position that would one day get her killed. And what was more, she didn't care. She lived only for the rebellion and if anything happened to them, he knew she would die. One good thing that had come out of all of this was that they had a closer relationship. He confided in her and sometimes, if he was lucky, he could draw her out of her shell. He never talked to her about Hilde, though. He was afraid that it would remind her too much of Heero and he couldn't stand to see her cry. Every tear was a reminder of how he had been unable to help his best friend. Sometimes he dreamt that he was on that escape pod again and he was able to pull Heero inside, able to save his friend by just being a little bit faster...a little stronger...but he would always wake up.  
  
"Hey, Rena." He called, waving her over to him. She came up to him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. As she neared he got a good look at her face and he was glad that the others were asleep. "Rough day?"  
  
"I ran into Takuya." She replied, sliding into a chair with a fluid grace. "I'm afraid I ruined any chance we might have had at friendship."  
  
Duo chuckled. "I hope you gave him a new scar or two." He answered.   
  
"Yes." She replied softly, and he sobered immediately.   
  
"There's something on your mind, Rena." He said, looking into those pale eyes of hers. She glanced away from him.   
  
"It's nothing."  
  
He exploded.   
  
"Damn it, Relena!" He shouted, slamming a fist on the table in front of him. She flinched at his use of her real name but he couldn't stop himself. "I thought we had an understanding? I thought you trusted us." His voice got softer. "I thought you trusted me."  
  
There was perfect silence for a moment and then her quavering voice broke his anger.   
  
"Duo?"  
  
He looked over at her and felt his heart break as tears glistened in her sad eyes. He came to her and embraced her gently and after a moment she threw her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest, her quiet sobs drifting up to him.   
  
"I miss him so much, Duo." She whispered brokenly. Closing his eyes in pain, he stroked her hair and let her cry.   
  
"So do I, ojousan, so do I."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
Darkness was all he had ever known. He had never felt the light. He was made of shadows, the essence of dusk.   
  
~The ambulance is on its way, just lie still~  
  
Ah, the voices again. They kept him company in the darkness, though he didn't really understand what they were saying. When he was more focused he thought he knew the voices, but today it was hard to know them.   
  
~Did you see?~  
  
Confusion. The darkness was all he ever saw, there was nothing else.   
  
~Are you lost?~  
  
He thought maybe he was and that maybe he needed to be found.   
  
~I've been lost from the day I was born~  
  
Born? Was he dead then? Those words seemed to hold little meaning for him.   
  
~I will destroy you~  
  
Pain, he was sure that's what he was feeling. He hadn't felt anything for a long time and now...  
  
~Don't run away from me~  
  
It was excruciating. He was on fire, he was burning.   
  
~I'm on your side now.~  
  
He tried to scream but he had forgotten how...  
  
~I won't let you~  
  
~I don't want you to fight anymore.~  
  
~Promise me you won't leave without saying goodbye~  
  
~Please~  
  
The light. It hurt him. The darkness was receding and the light was touching him, beckoning him. It enveloped him and he took his first breath in ages...  
  
~I believe in you~  
  
~Heero~  
  
He had been found.  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
Well, * bites her nails * was it good? Okay? Sucked the big one? * falls on the floor from nervous exhaustion * I have been writing this for five hours because I'm in love with this idea and I can't wait to get it all out. Hope this was good and please review!  
  
Oh, and if you have any ideas that you would like to see in this fic feel free to put it in a review! I love creative stuff!  
  
Thanks for reading! * hugs *  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Clash of Fate

Chapter Three: Clash of Fate  
  
  
The empress of the A'rateken was beautiful. Even the humans said so, though that didn't count for much with her. She spent endless hours in front of a mirror, having one of her human servants brush out her floor length pale green hair and rub oil into her all ready glittery skin. Her eyes were a disconcerting mix of green and blue, with strange swirls and the slanted pupils. She had never had to work for a thing in her life. Her battle mages coordinated the assault on earth in her name and they were taking great strides in eradicating the rebel force that tried to resist her.   
  
She snorted, and then quickly glanced around to make sure she was alone.   
  
Those puny humans. They still tried to win against her. Didn't they know it was meaningless? She would soon by the empress of this world just like all the others. She held the loyalty of her Mages tightly in her fist and they would die for her if she but gave the word. She would have everything she wanted. She always did.   
  
And now one of Ritara's endless experiments had worked and it would soon be taken to the battlefield and pitted against those useless rebels. Ah, yes, the victory would be sweet. She would soon have another world to add to her charm bracelet.   
  
A knock at the door put an abrupt end to her reverie and the empress quickly smoothed a snarl from her face. "Come."   
  
The door opened to reveal one of her servants, a human girl that was hideous in the empress's sight. The girl had the human's strange round gray eyes, the color of steel, and her hair was a ghastly shade of red and it was quite short compared with empress's own. Really, these humans were quite ugly to look upon.  
  
The girl bowed to her in the A'rateken way and keep her outlandish eyes on the carpet as she had been taught years ago.   
  
"I have brought Ritara to you, my empress." She said, quietly, her body still. The empress waved a dismissive hand.   
  
"Send her in."  
  
The girl bowed again and backed her way out of the room just as Ritara entered. The Battle Mage bowed to her formally before smiling at her like an idiot. The empress arched a delicate eyebrow in disapproval and Ritara wiped the smile from her face instantly.   
  
"Forgive me, empress, it's just that-"  
  
"I know, I know. Your little project is still alive." The empress interrupted, standing and going to the window. The earth was beautiful even if its inhabitants were not. "I trust you are going to send it to the front lines?"  
  
Ritara nodded, barely concealing the smile. "Yes. I want to see if he can-"  
  
Again, the empress cut her off. "Him? Him?" A frown crossed the beautiful face. "I do not know of this 'him'. I know only of a weapon that was created for my use. Do you know a 'him', Ritara?"  
  
The Mage hurriedly shook her head. "No, empress, of course not. I meant to say 'it', yes, 'it'. I want to see if it can use the A'rateken energy I installed into it's genetic code. If it can it would be invaluable to us, empress, the first human ever to do so."  
  
"Yes, yes." The empress said, looking out the window. "As long as it rids me of these rebels."  
  
"It will, empress, I am sure. I will try it out today, if you command."  
  
The empress made a motion with her hand and Ritara bowed. "As you wish, empress."  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Quatre sighed.   
  
"Look, Wufei, if I hear one more onna comment I'm going to-"  
  
"Going to what, woman? We all know you all make idle threats."  
  
* growl *   
  
* scuffle *   
  
* thump *   
  
and then...  
  
"Sally, please don't break any bones. He has to be able to walk." Rena commented from her place next to Quatre. She said it wryly but she did not smile. She hardly ever did.   
  
Sally grumbled to herself and let Wufei up from where she had had him pinned. She shot him one more glare for good measure before going back to study the maps Quatre had dug up that morning.   
  
"You know," Duo said, pointedly getting back to the subject at hand. "We still don't know what room the empress is in. I mean, it was pretty lucky she took over the Sank palace because we know the layout, but we still need someone on the inside."  
  
"It would make sense for her to take over Rena's old rooms, since they were the most luxurious." Hilde put in from where she was sitting at Duo's feet.   
  
"But we know the A'rateken sense of beauty is not the same as ours." Quatre said, "We've been through this so many times. She could be in any room."  
  
"Hence the need for someone on the inside." Duo said again, with a smirk.   
  
"The important part is that once we find out where she is in the building, we'll have a better chance of eliminating her." Sally said, from the table, her eyes still on the layout of the Sank palace.   
  
Wufei grunted.   
  
"I've got news."  
  
The small group of rebels looked up as Trowa entered, half of his face covered in the clown mask he was never seen without. It was a part of him now, just like Relena's new name.   
  
"What is it, Trowa?" Quatre asked, worriedly. The weapons specialist regarded him with an unwavering look.   
  
"There's something going on at the front lines."  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Rena watched angrily as her people were mowed down like trees in a tornado. The rebel army had engaged the A'rateken in battle early that morning and they were fast approaching the end of their strength. The three battle mages were there, proclaiming their whereabouts with white flashes of lightning from a clear sky and energy blasts that threw earth in the air. What enraged her the most was the dark figure at the head of it all. He wore a black cloak, the hood pulled up, and he was wielding twin swords that struck down everyone in his path. What was strange was that his blade never touched skin. It was as if the wind pressure alone from his swords was what was killing her rebels. She had seen the Mages do that before, but he was new to her and, for some reason, she didn't think he was A'rateken.   
  
"Who is he?" She asked, quietly to the silent figure beside her.   
  
"He appeared with one of the mages this afternoon." There was a pause. "He has been untouchable since."  
  
"I see." And she went forward. Trowa reached out to pull her back but she leapt into a run, her people parting for her as she neared the dark figure. She pulled out her whip and sent it lashing out ahead of her, hoping to leave a slash across his face that would blind him. But it didn't make it anywhere near him. He reached out and grabbed her whip a foot from his face. She gasped and skidded to a halt, trying to peer into the dark hood that kept her enemy hidden from her. He stood calmly, holding the end of her whip. She jerked on it but he didn't budge and she felt her anger boiling.   
  
"You have spilt much blood today, warrior." She said, trying to pretend he hadn't just foiled her attempt to kill him. "I am Rena Darkblade. Uncover your face so that I may know my enemy."  
  
From behind the cloaked man, one of the Battle Mages moved as if to strike at Rena, but the man flung out a hand to stop her. He then released Rena's whip and reached up slowly for his hood.   
"I am The Hand of the Empire." He said.  
  
and the hood came down...  
  
Rena heard a ragged wail and, a second later, realized it was her own. She couldn't seem to catch her breath and her heart was beating irregularly. Even as the world tilted around her, her silver-blue gaze was caught on the unruly dark hair and Prussian blue eyes she would have known in her sleep.   
  
It couldn't be true, it just couldn't it.   
  
It couldn't be...him.  
  
The Hand of the Empire made a swift movement with her hand and she cried out as an unseen blow collided with her stomach. She doubled over, her eyes swimming as she looked back up at her enemy...the one who had slaughtered hundreds of her rebels just that afternoon.   
  
"Heero?"  
  
Trowa caught her as he fell, her slight weight nothing to a battle hardened soldier such as him. He lifted her up and met the gaze in that oh so familiar face. The two warriors fought a silent battle before The Hand of the Empire turned away, glaring at the Battle Mages until they too slunk away, uneasy about letting the rebels live.   
  
"We will meet again." The dark man said, before starting to follow the Mages. Trowa watched him silently for a moment, wondering at this clash of fate.   
  
"Yes we will."  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Well? Don't worry, mysteries will be revealed in the next chapter and there will be some more 1xR moments coming up. I've gotta write all the technical stuff first so that the romance will make sense. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
  
Next Chapter: Flickers of the Blade  
  



	4. Flickers of the Blade

Author's Note: Okay, I made a mistake on the last chapter. I wrote "Darkblade" instead of Bladeheart, gomen! I'm a baka, okay? * grin *  
  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter One  
  
  
Chapter Four: Flickers of the Blade  
  
Ritara, one of the three invincible Battle Mages, the greatest scientist of the A'rateken Imperial Order, and creator of the greatest weapon ever to live, had never been afraid before. But she was now. She entered the room cautiously, like a rabbit fearing a predator. The lights were off and she immediately flipped the switch, blinking her eyes as bright light suddenly flooded the room. He was sitting by the window, watching the people making their way home for the night. Ritara shuddered. The people here were so primitive, she would be glad when they moved on to the next world.   
  
"You should be asleep, Gharial." She said, moving forward to stand a few feet behind him. She wanted to have room to defend herself if he should attack. Not that she thought he would. After all, it had been she who had given him life.   
  
Still, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.   
  
"Why?" Came the quiet question.   
  
She let a small smile cross her face as he turned to face her. She had a soft spot for him, almost like a mother for her child. A very dangerous child, but he was hers nonetheless. She reached up and patted his cheek.   
  
"Because you are human, and humans sleep."   
  
"I am more than human."  
  
Ritara smiled broadly this time and led him to his bed like a small child. He crawled in and she covered him with a blanket, meeting his gaze as his touched her hand. She sighed at the question in his eyes and sat on the edge of his bed.   
  
"Gharial, you mustn't brood like this." She said, sternly. "You will not be able to carry out the empress's orders if you think too much on this."  
  
"I do not need to sleep, mother, you know that."  
  
She nodded silently. "Yes, I do, but humor me."  
  
He nodded and closed his eyes. She watched him for a moment before standing and making her way quietly to the door.  
  
"Forget that girl, my son. She is your enemy, your target. As you said, you are not like them. You are one of us now and you need not worry about the humans any longer."  
  
"Yes, mother." He answered, and she closed the door to his room.   
  
Gharial. A'rateken for 'double edge'.   
  
He was indeed double edged, but she would see that the sharpest edge belonged to her.   
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
"I don't believe it." Duo announced for the fiftieth time, pacing back and forth across the room. "Heero is dead. I saw the explosion that killed him."  
  
"It was him." Trowa said quietly, from his place against he wall.   
  
"I believe you saw someone who looked a lot like Heero, but it wasn't the same guy." Duo said, feeling a lump in his throat. "It wasn't him."  
  
"Duo, have you ever known Trowa to make a mistake?" Hilde fired at him. His infernal pacing was getting on her nerves. "If he says it was Heero than it was."  
  
Duo shook his head stubbornly.   
  
"If you don't believe me, Duo," Trowa said softly, "Ask Rena."  
  
That stopped him cold. Rena had not come out of her room for hours and she had only recently stopped crying. Usually, when she was upset, she would talk to Duo and they would work it out. But now, she wouldn't see anyone and none of them wanted to be the first to approach her about what happened.   
  
"I don't believe it." He said, but this time he didn't sound convinced.  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"I don't believe it." She said, quietly to herself. It was a false statement, she knew, but she had to believe it. If it was true...  
  
She choked back a sob. If it was true then her dearest love had become her worst enemy. A man who worked for the very thing she was fighting against. He was not the same, but then, neither was she. She was not Relena Peacecraft.  
  
"Then why do I find that my heart still aches for peace and that it belongs to a gundam pilot names Heero Yuy."  
  
Maybe a certain part of her was still Relena, but Rena Bladeheart was who was needed now. She could not go back to being the spoiled, lovesick girl of seventeen she had been three years ago. She had to fight now, for her friends, and for herself.   
  
"Oh, Heero," She murmured, "Is it really you? Do you remember me at all?" She paused a moment. "I still love you, Heero."  
  
And it was time to find out just what exactly he felt for her.   
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
He jerked straight up in bed, sweaty and shaking from a nightmare. He ran a hand through his dark hair and took deep breaths to calm himself. He shouldn't have slept, the nightmares always came, but he hadn't wanted to disappoint his mother.   
  
He sighed and buried his head in his hands. His mother. She was the one who cared for him. He could see the jealous looks the other Battle Mages threw him for being the chosen weapon of the empress. He didn't care. He was stronger then them and soon, he would be their commander.   
  
What he did care about was the images that floated through his head. They had appeared the minute he had faced the human rebel on the battlefield. She had looked at him, through him, with those pale eyes of hers and memories had crept into his head. Remnants of a life his mother said he had once had, but was no more. Why did her face haunt him so?  
  
~Heero?~  
  
She had called him by a strange name, and yet, when it was said with her voice, it didn't seem so strange. She had faced him defiantly, wanting to kill him, but then she had been so surprised when she had seen his face. Why? What was it about her? Had she been apart of the life he had lost?  
  
Groaning, he clutched his head. It hurt to remember. But he had to, he wasn't whole. And if this girl could help him regain the part of him that was lost he needed to see her again.   
  
"Rena Bladeheart." He whispered into the darkness, and prepared himself for the nightmares.   
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
"Rena?" Duo called timidly, as he stepped into her darkened room. As soon as his eyes had focused to the dim light, he saw the opened window and knew. He cursed under his breath.   
  
"Guys, we've got a problem."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Cliffhanger! Tee hee. Hope you all enjoyed this part! Got some mushy 1xR in the next chapter. Check back, spring breaks coming up so I'll have some time to write!  
  
Next Chapter: The Whispers of Memories  
  
  
Please review!  
  



	5. The Whispers of Memories

Chapter Five: The Whispers of Memories  
  
  
Rena was one with the darkness. She had been for quite some time. She moved like a breath of wind, silent and light. The familiar outline of the Sank palace rose before her, and she paused, seized by an assualt of memories. That palace had served as her home for awhile and it was hard to see it filled with A'rateken soldiers. Those walls had been dedicated to peace and now they served to protect those who would bring war to the earth. Ironic, wasn't it? How life put curves in your path and expected you to take them with ease?   
  
She watched the lights of the palace for a few soft moments, noting the movements of the guards. The whole thing was going to be a piece of cake. The A'rateken had no fear of a large, direct assualt on the palace. They knew the rebel's numbers and they outnumbered them 2 to 1, which made it all the more easier for a lone soldier to make her way in, undetected.   
  
Rena snorted to herself.   
  
The A'rateken were too proud, and it would be their downfall.   
  
Breaking into a quick trot, she rounded the side of the palace, keeping herside hard against the side of the building. She kept bushes and trees between her and what guards there were until she had reached the hidden door located what should have been the main hall. It was the entrance to a secret passageway Rena had used when she had lived in the palace. It led to the hallway next to her rooms, but not to the room itself. Which was just as well since everyone seemed to think the empress was using her old rooms. She had not come to assinate the empress, that would come later. She had come for a foolish reason, one of the heart, and she would not complicate that with plans of murder. She wanted to be in and out quickly, without problems, though it was tempting just to end it all now. But she had the rebellion to think of, and she could not die without finding out about Heero.   
  
~It was him, wasn't it?~  
  
Ignoring her thoughts, she entered the secret hallway quickly and made her way up the cramped stairs to the upstairs rooms. She took several calming breaths before emerging from the hidden doorway, the passageway must remain a secret. Luckily, their were no guards nearby and she fitted the door seamlessly back into the wall. Now was the hard part. She had no idea where to find Heero. She had been hoping that her heart would lead her but all it was doing was beating rapidly in her chest. Well, what ever she did, she couldn't keep standing in the hallway waiting for someone to find her.   
  
She slid along the walls carefully, pausing every time she heard footsteps. She went in the opposite direction of her rooms. Surely the empress would keep her best weapon close by.   
  
The Hand of the Empire.   
  
There was something wrong with the title but she couldn't place it, her mind was running too fast. It would come to her sometime, until then-  
  
"You know, I was thinking the same thing. I guess that this Gharial is so spectacular that he has been put in command of the Mages. Imagine Takuya's disappointment."   
  
Relena froze as the voice sounded close by, followed by dry chuckles from another man. She swallowed as the voices came closer accompanied by footsteps. She had to decide what to do, and fast.   
  
"Sparks fly when he and Gharial are in the same room. It's amazing. You can almost see the power radiating off the both of them." The other voice said, almost upon her and she gritted her teeth. Abandoning any idea of hiding, she threw herself in front of the two men and they reeled back in surprise. She assessed their strengths quickly and knew she couldn't take them both at once without one of them making some noise. There was only one alternative.   
  
"Oh my, you scared me." She said, widening her eyes and affecting a frightened look. The two A'rateken guards blinked at her. She stepped quickly out of their way, bowing low to them. "Sorry to get in your way, sirs. Forgive a humble servant of the empress."  
  
They eyed her for a moment and she began to sweat. The only humans in the palace were slaves and if they didn't believe she was one...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.   
  
"I haven't seen you around before." One of then said, his slanted eyes peering at her. It was strange how they could look so much like humans and yet, be so different.  
  
"I was caught only recently, sir." She said, thinking quickly. The other guard grinned.   
  
"Well then, Basalt, why don't we have some fun with her? She's pretty good looking, for a human, and the empress will never miss her." He said, and she felt her blood run cold at the thought of one of these...men touching her. Her hand itched towards her whip. She wasn't going to be taken without a fight.   
  
"Mary!" A sharp voice scolded, and Rena looked up as another servant came forward, glaring at her. Rena gaped at the sight of her. "What are you doing? The empress told you five minutes ago to fetch that tea for her and here you are, flirting with guards. Get yourself to the kitchens before I beat some sense into you!"  
  
Rena nodded hurriedly as the two guards stepped away uneasily, obviously reluctant to interfere with the empress's servants. They started off again and Rena opened her mouth, her old sense of joy bubbling up within her. The other servant cut her off with a sharp gesture.   
  
"Not here."   
  
Rena shut her mouth with a snap and followed the other woman to the corner of the hallway, half obscured by the shadows. Once they were hidden from view, Rena let go of her restraint.   
"Catherine!" She whispered, throwing her arms around the other woman. Catherine smiled through her tears and hugged her back. "I can't believe it's you! I have so many questions for you." Rena stopped abruptly, feeling awkward. The old Relena had welled up in her for a moment, basking in the joy of finding her lost friend, but Rena was there too, impatiently waiting for her to get on with it and complete the mission. It was as if the two sides of herself were battling and Relena had come to the forefront for a second. Rena pushed down her emotions quickly. She needed to be Rena now, this was war. There was no time for fond memories or happiness.  
  
Fortunately, Catherine didn't seem to notice her silent struggle.   
  
"First off, don't worry about me. The empress made me one of her servants. I get to brush her hair and fetch things for her." The blade-throwing circus performer drawled in her relaxed manner. "Being around her all the time let's me in on what's going on in the front lines. I've kept track of the rebellion's movements and I've tried to learn as much as possible, in the hope that one of you would discover that I was here." She paused for a moment, and her face got sad. "How is Trowa?"  
  
Rena made her voice calm. "You are his mission." She said, simply, feeling her heart ache. Anytime she heard the word 'mission' it inevitably led to thoughts of a certain pilot. She went on, composed. "Catherine, I don't have much time. Have you heard of the empress's new weapon? A man in a dark cloak, calls himself the Hand of the Empire?"  
  
Catherine had started nodding before she was even finished. "He's the main topic all over the palace. I haven't seen him but his rooms are two doors down."   
  
Rena let her mind race. "Okay, I have to hurry Catherine. I want you to meet me tomorrow night in the secret passage by my old rooms-you know the one?-and we'll discuss where to go from there. I must go now." She paused. "Take care of yourself."  
  
Catherine nodded and Rena started to leave when she felt her friend's hand on her arm.   
  
"Tell Trowa...tell him I'm all right." She said, tears glittering in her steel colored eyes again. Rena let a brief smile cross her face, a plan forming in her head.   
  
"I will."  
  
She started off again, her sights set on the door that would lead her to the answers she sought. So focused was she that she didn't see the shadow leaning casually against the wall to her right.   
  
"You came."  
  
She whirled around, a lie on her lips, but it died when she saw who had spoken. He straightened from his place against the wall and looked at her with same Prussian blue eyes that had won her heart so long ago. Now that she was closer to him, she noticed that everything was the same. His hair was still dark and unruly and his face could still gain that emotionless mask in a heartbeat.   
  
Her heart wrenched painfully in her chest.   
  
"Is it really you?" She whispered, and a strange look passed across his face. He motioned towards his room.   
  
"Let us talk privately." He opened the door for her and she hesitated. She still wasn't entirely sure this was Heero and the idea that she was walking into a trap popped into her mind.   
  
He seemed to read this in her face and he stiffened angrily. "I do not use hidden tactics to subdue young women."  
  
Strangely, she felt herself nod and step into the room, trusting him. He closed the door behind him and looked to her, standing a few feet away.   
  
"You remember me." He said, abruptly, his voice sending shivers up her spine.   
  
"Yes." She replied, softly. "Do you remember me?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Rena felt a tingle behind her eyes, a feeling she hadn't felt in years. She wasn't going to cry, was she? She hadn't cried since... since Heero had died.   
  
She took a deep breath. "Do you know who you are?"  
  
He frowned. "I once had a life other than this one. My mother says she found me close to death and gave me life again. I remember only voices from this other life."  
  
Rena felt faint. "Your mother?  
  
His gaze hardened. "What about you, Rena Bladeheart? Why do you come deep within the enemies fortress to talk to me?"  
  
"The same reason that you do not kill me where I stand." She shot back. Surprisingly, he nodded in agreement.   
  
"Yes, I know I could not kill you. You are connected to me somehow."   
  
Rena felt the tears threaten again and she stepped closer to Heero until they were almost touching. Daringly she looked up into his eyes and reached up a hand to softly trace his strong jaw. He didn't move away from her touch and she felt a tiny tendril of hope curl around her heart. If she could just make him remember...  
  
She let her fingertips brush lightly over his eyes, cheeks, forehead, and lips as if memorizing him all over again. He simply watched her calmly, his eyes on her face. When her fingers touched his hair he reached up and encircled her wrist gently with a strong hand. She paused and looked into his eyes, trying to read what he was feeling.   
  
As their gazes held he felt a tiny spark of...something...ignite in him, and he felt his head lower until his lips were inches away from hers. She watched him with big eyes and he noticed that silver tears filled them, waiting to be shed. It was those tears that pushed him the last distance and when their mouths met, it was like coming home.   
  
Only painful.   
  
A blaze of pain erupted in his mind and he jerked away, clutching his head and falling to his knees. There was a roaring in his ears so loud that all other sound was lost and the throbbing pain beat in time with his heart.   
  
~Going on another mission, Heero?~  
  
He groaned through his teeth as images burned their way into his brain, the pain blinding his sight. He saw himself and another braided boy jumping from a tall building, and the name of the boy came to him. Duo. He saw himself with other people too. Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, even Zechs. And Sally, Noin, Hilde, Dorothy, and Catherine. He saw them all and he remembered...  
  
Relena...  
  
He curled in on himself as the pain brought him the lost memories of his time spent with her. She looked different then she was now. More innocent and more...happy. She smiled at him, laughed and cried...and watched him with horrified eyes as he punched the button that would send her away from him for eternity...or so he had thought.   
  
He remembered how he had died...  
  
Or how he should have died. Somehow, in that great burst of bright light, a tiny fraction of himself had been saved. His love for Relena had kept him alive long enough for an A'rateken cruiser to pick him up. After that it was darkness until he suddenly reawakened in the presence of his mother. That was strange too. He still thought of her as his mother.   
  
  
"Heero? Please, talk to me, Heero. Please?"  
  
The pain flared once more and faded away, leaving behind a whole other life. It was as if he was two people. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he raised his head slowly to look into a pair of very worried silver-blue eyes. When had her eyes changed color?  
  
"Relena?"  
  
The change was immediate. Her face tightened and her eyes grew dark, as if they were trying to return to their normal color. Her lip quivered and she seemed to struggle with herself for a moment.   
  
Then it all came out.   
  
She burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck, her thin shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. It was as if she hadn't cried in years and it was all coming out now. An uncontrollable flood of emotions she had kept so deep within herself.   
  
He reached for her and crushed her against his chest as she cried, her tears wetting his shirt. He stroked her dark gold hair, kissed her forehead, and whispered to her that it was all right.   
  
"I'm here." He said, quietly.  
  
She cried for several more minutes, the depths of her grief tearing him. When she finally looked up at him, her look broke his heart.   
  
"You left me." She said, brokenly, and he could never remember her looking so vulnerable. "You died and I couldn't go with you."   
  
He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I lived to protect you. I still do." He paused. "I never got to say this before and I want to say it before anything else happens...  
  
I love you, Relena."  
  
"Oh, Heero." She said, "I have always loved you."  
  
For the first time, a lump rose in his throat and he found he couldn't speak. Instead, he reached out and hugged her against his chest tightly.   
  
They stayed together for the rest of the night, holding each other so close they could barely breathe, afraid that if they let go they would lose each other once again. Cradled in each other's arms, they forgot that the world was tearing itself apart, forgot that they were different people now.  
  
Forgot that they were enemies.   
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
whew! * wipes sweat off her forehead * that took a lot out of me! Hmmmmm, hope you all liked it! More 1xR lovey dovey stuff coming up and I'm thinking about putting a drop of lemonade in somewhere, what do you think? * sighs * anyway, tell me what you think! Also I was just wondering if anyone caught the reference to Catherine I made in Chapter Two. (I think it was 2) You actually saw her before with the empress. Just wondering if anyone caught her description! If you did you get a cookie!  
  
Next Chapter: The Return  
  
Please review! * hug *  
  
  



	6. The Return

Chapter Six: The Return   
  
  
  
The morning dawned a golden blue and the first gentle rays fell on two figures walking slowly through the just stirring streets. The man was tall and handsome, with the hilts of two swords rising over his back. He was dressed like any other man but there was a dark aura that pulsated from him, a hidden power that was always on the verge of being unleashed. The woman that walked beside him was different. She was sun haired and petite, with eyes the color of the moon's reflection on the ocean. She walked gracefully and lightly, as if every movement was the prelude to flying, and the man often shortened his stride to match hers. They walked closely, talking softly to each other in the early hours. She would often point out things to him and he would nod thoughtfully as if seeing it for the first time. They seemed to have no destination, nowhere to be except with each other.  
  
And they were obviously in love.  
  
There were a million little signs that proclaimed it, some noticeable only by those who had known the effects themselves. He would guide her through small crowds by placing a light hand on the small of her back, a protective touch that spelled trouble for anyone trying to separate them, and she would look up at him with eyes brimming with love and renewal. Everything was new for them.  
  
"Heero," Rena began, then stopped suddenly, a uneasy look flashing across her face. "Is it all right to call you that?"  
  
He turned to look at her, "Part of me is the A'rateken Mage known as Gharial, but an even older part is still Heero. That part belongs to you."  
  
  
She smiled brightly at him and he felt his heart stir. He remembered her now, everything about the life he had once lived. It was causing something of a war between him. Gharial was A'rateken and he had been born as a weapon, to kill the rebel humans and pave the way for the Empress's dominion of all the Earth. Heero, on the other hand, wanted only to protect Relena, fight alongside her and drive the Imperial Order back to their fleet. The two sides conflicted and he wondered if, someday soon, he would have to make a choice that would affect the rest of his life.   
  
"Heero," Rena began again. "I want you to come with me tonight."  
  
He blinked at her, unsure of what she was asking. "Hn?"  
  
She went on. "There is a festival tonight, just outside the city. I would like you to come with me." She looked up at him with a hopeful look.   
  
He hesitated. "This is a human event?"  
  
She snorted. "You may have the power of an A'rateken Mage but your heart and soul is human." She paused and laid a hand on his arm. "Please?"  
  
"Relena, I would be exposed. I am a danger to you. If the A'rateken found out that I was there they would be down on us with the fury of a storm, and even I am not strong enough to save everyone. " He hesitated again, and she caught it.  
  
"There's something else you're not telling me."   
  
"Relena, I am Heero, I know that now, but I am still Gharial, too. Ritara IS my mother, she brought me back to life. I cannot leave her to fend for herself, not yet."  
  
"Are you telling me that you will continue to fight for the A'rateken?" She asked, quietly, an almost dangerous quiet. Her eyes flashed silver at him and he knew that Rena Bladeheart was coming to the surface.   
  
"I am with you in all things, Relena, you know that." He replied, just as softly. "I cannot fight against you now, but I am still a weapon. The Empire will not let me go easily."  
  
She sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest and he stroked her hair gently.   
  
"I guess we are both two people now." She whispered. "But I still want you to come. Duo and the others will want to see you, and I...Now that I have you back I don't want you to leave me."  
  
He smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head as she leaned back again. "I will come." He said, and was glad he did when Relena threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Thank you, Heero. Thank you."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"I can't believe this!" Duo ranted, on the verge of throwing something. "I can't believe she would run off alone and not say anything about where she's going!"  
  
"Relax, baka, Rena can take care of herself."  
  
Duo swung to face Wufei, surprise painted clearly across his face. "Well, Wufei, I never expected you to say something like that about a woman."  
  
The Chinese ex-pilot shrugged. "She's not Relena anymore." As if that explained everything.   
  
Duo sighed. "Well, she'd better not get into any trouble with this new guy, Heero or not."  
  
"Relax, Duo." Quatre said, from where he was sitting amidst piles of spy reports. "She'll be all right. And don't tell me you still don't believe Trowa saw Heero."  
  
The braided general shook his head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know, but if he harms Rena in anyway, he will wish he had stayed dead."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
The empress traced a slender finger along the table's smooth surface, an idle look on her face. She didn't like having things on her mind, that was what her Mages were for. She was there to collect galaxies and put them all under Imperial rule. This planet was almost taken and yet, at the very climax of her conquest, she was still missing the key.  
  
She couldn't understand why, either. The Mages had always been able to find it before, on other worlds. It had been simple, a simple harnessing of energy and the key would shine like a beacon. Simple.   
  
But not this time. This time the Earth seemed hell bent on hiding it from her. Her Mages continued to sap the blue-green planets' magnetic and heat energy but it did not reveal the key, and time was running out. Soon the rebels would renew their assault on her forces, running the chance that her army would destroy the key without even knowing it. It was a problem, and one she shouldn't have had to be thinking about.   
  
"Explain to me again, Takuya, why we do not have the key in our possession." She said, evenly, looking up at the Battle Mage. He didn't let even a flicker of surprise cross his face, even through he had all ready gone through it once.   
  
"It is hidden here, Empress. This world has never had to use the key. These...humans..." He grimaced. "...rely only on themselves. It is possible that they do not even know the power of the key. It is also why it has been difficult for us to find it. Ritara thought her little experiment would bring us the key, and though Gharial does have the A'rateken power, he is not the key. It lies out there still, eluding us."  
  
She arched an eloquent eyebrow at him. "You sound defeated, Takuya. Do I sense some resentment concerning Gharial?"  
  
"No, empress." He replied, but she knew the truth. She let it go anyway. She had other problems to solve than his petty jealousy.   
  
"Takuya, must I remind you that without the key I will never gain complete control over this planet?" She said, her voice low, almost thoughtful. It was her at her most her dangerous. "And that without this planet my chain of galaxies will not be complete?" She suddenly held his gaze, her green-blue eyes blazing with the power of her bloodlines.   
  
"I must have the key to this sphere, Takuya. I will have it. There is no failure."   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
"Mother?"  
  
Ritara looked up tiredly as her son entered her chambers quietly. She managed a small smile for him. He stood there, her ugly, beautiful son, looking at her as if he were trying to decide something. She waited and after a few moments, he spoke again.   
  
"Mother." He said it firmly this time, decision made. Her smile widened.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
He hesitated and she became instantly alert. He never hesitated. He was a weapon.   
  
"I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be my mother."  
  
She relaxed, feeling her heartbeat slow. "Thank you, Gharial." She held out her arms for him and he hugged her gently, keeping back his true strength so as not to hurt her.   
  
She knew she shouldn't get attached to him. He was a weapon to destroy the enemies of the Empire, but she couldn't help feeling something for the man she had given a new life to. The A'rateken did not have the human feeling called 'love', but whatever she felt, she couldn't let the other Mages or the empress know. She had to protect herself.  
  
She had to protect him.  
  
tbc  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
Author's Note: All right, I know there wasn't alot of sap in this one. Sorry, had to get some plot twisters in there! I'll have some mush in the next one with the festival, k?  
  
so, I'll bet you're wondering why the key is aren't ya? aren't ya? * pokes you in the stomach * tee hee. Guess you'll just have to check back! *giggles behind her hand*   
Also got that meeting between Trowa and Catherine coming up too! So there's some goodies for people who like that pairing! If you don't like them together don't worry, I'll put a warning before you get to it so you don't have to suffer. See? I play fair. * smiles *   
  
Hope you all enjoyed this part, it was all for you!   
  
Stay tuned for the next chapter: A Kiss of Stardust  
  
  
please review! *hugs*  



	7. A Kiss of Stardust

Warning: 3xC within, along with a dash of 2xH. (and 1xR of course)   
  
Chapter Seven: A Kiss of Stardust  
  
  
  
The night was alive with sounds and smells. The aroma of incense and firesmoke danced on the night wind, teasing the crowds of spectators with thoughts of dancing and laughter. Moonlight filtered down through the trees, bathing the carnival in silver light that heightened the sensation of stepping out of time and into a place where there were no thoughts of war. Children ran, giggling as they weaved between adults who watched them with soft eyes while remembering their own childhoods. Vendors cried out their wares, enticing young girls and their reluctant lovers to look over the arrays of bright silks and gleaming jewels. A group of singers had gathered a sizeable crowd under the branches of a large oak, while acrobates did backflips to the delight of their stunned audience. Over all, the feeling in the air was of excitement and release. An escape from the continuous play of their lives under the rule of the A'rateken. For at least a night, they could forget their troubles and remember what it was like when all they had to worry about was what to wear to work the next day.   
  
Rena drifted through the crowds, a pale wrath in a blue summer dress. A few people waved to her, rebels that knew she was Bladeheart, and she bowed her head in acknowledgement, when in truth she wanted to smile brightly. She had never felt more like her oldself than she did at that moment. Relena Peacecraft, dove of peace, a girl who could laugh and smile with ease, was slowly taking over the warrior rebel, Rena Bladeheart. It wasn't an unwelcome change, but it was uncomfortable. At the oddest moments she found herself looking at the world with the eyes of one who wished for the blood and battles to be over. Just today she had almost given Duo a heartattack by throwing her arms around him in a bear hug and pulling his long braid with a smile. As she reflected on it now, Duo had always been there for her after Heero's 'death'. In part because she knew he felt responsible for not doing something to save Heero, even though he had been shot at the time. He had become somewhat of a brother to her, always overprotective but offering his shoulder to cry on when she needed it. She smiled wistfully to herself, vaguely catagorizing the facial expression to be that of Relena's. She had told Duo that he needed to make an appearance tonight because she had something to show him. He all ready halfway believed that Trowa had seen Heero but full belief would only come when he saw Heero with his own eyes, away from the A'rateken army.   
  
Feeling rather pleased with herself, she wandered towards a pastry vendor where she bought one of the delicious apple confections she had fallen in love with as a child. Happily munching, she turned her thoughts to her masked weapons specialist, a sparkle entering her blue-silver eyes as she silently congratulated herself. She had told Trowa that she had found a rebel spy on the inside that could supply Quatre with the needed information that would help them plan the death of the empress. He had nodded silently and disappeared into the darkness towards the meeting place she had told him of. She just wished she could be there when he met Catherine for the first time in almost two years. What worried her was that they were putting Catherine in danger by bringing her into the rebellion. If she was discovered...  
  
Rena shook her head. She would have to hope that everything would work out. Hilde had informed her that her and Duo's secret weapon, whatever it was, was almost complete. The two of them had been sneaking off at odd hours to work on it and Rena just hoped it was as good as they thought it was. Hilde would be coming with Duo tonight, both of them wanting the excuse of the festival for a night off. She was certain there was a little romance blossoming between those two and, hopefully, the romantic atmosphere would give them a good shove into love.   
  
Love...  
  
A warm tingle ran up her spine as she thought of Heero. He was alive, and he was everything to her. She hadn't realized just how dead she was inside until he had held her in his arms again. Even her appearance reflected his presence. Her eyes keep changing color. Dark blue when she was at her happiest, and a silvery blue when she was feeling more like Bladeheart or Heero wasn't around. The two seemed to be linked. Heero always brought out the princess in her.   
  
Brushing her hands of any pastry crumbs, she cast around for her dark warrior. He had said he would come and the evening wasn't getting any younger. Where was he?  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
The Sank palace rose as a dark silhoutte against the starry night sky. It was lit by a scattering of well-placed miniture spotlights as well as with light from within. The imperial flag was hung over every balcony, proclaiming the empress's presence as well as damning the once peace-oriented castle with the blood of its own people. It was no longer a symbol of hope and light, and the strength of human will. Now it was only a tool for the Order, to let mankind know that there was nothing they could do to stop them.   
  
Trowa stood silently watchful, a soft breeze rushing though his light brown hair. His face was half hidden by the ever present mask as well as the hood of a dark cloak that made him all but invisible in the twilight. He had initially paused to watch the guards as they made their rounds, watching for the moment when all backs were turned that would announce his chance to enter the hidden pathway, but a strange feeling had entered his heart and he had stayed, watching the palace with dark emerald eyes. He didn't know exactly what he felt. It had been a long time since he allowed himself to feel anything, but now he could sense an apprehension in the air, a feeling of waiting. Something was going to happen that night, something big. He didn't know if it concerned him or the others that would currently be attending the festival outside the city. Whatever it was, he would pay attention to it.   
  
~You should always act on your emotions.~  
  
It was amazing that Heero was alive, for he had no doubts that that was who he saw on the battlefield that day. And he knew it was also why the man hadn't killed Rena where she stood, as he was surely capable of doing. Power had radiated off the Hand of the Empire, and yet, he had let them both live. Surely that meant there was hope for Heero, for Rena's sake.   
  
He straightened abruptly, the tiniest of motions that an ordinary man would never see. It was time he went to meet Rena's mysterious new informant. She had told him when and where to meet their new spy, a funny half smile playing on her lips and a bright look in her eyes. He had wondered at the overnight change in her even as he suspected that she wasn't telling him something. Not that he was worried, she would never send him into danger, but it puzzled him nonetheless, and he found himself calmly questioning what it could be.   
  
He entered the palace as silent as a cat. The secret door had been easy to find and he hadn't even had to worry about the guards. The A'rateken were too proud to think someone would dare enter their fortress alone. The passageway he was in was completely dark and he waited a few moments, letting his eyes adjust. He was alone in the corridor, so he leaned back against the cold wall, crossing his arms over his chest, content to wait. Fortunatley he didn't have long. Almost immediantly there came the sound of a door sliding shut and soft footsteps descending the stars to where he stood. After a moment the flickering light of a candle appeared, and he unfolded himself from the wall, ready to meet the new informant.   
  
It was a woman, as he had guessed from the lightness of her step. She drifted down the last few steps, head bowed and came to stop in front of him in swirl of pale skirts.   
  
"Rena, I hope that you..." The woman trailed off as she raised her eyes to meet his, and she gave a faint gasp. A small hand fluttering to her mouth in surprise. Trowa felt his heart lurch as he drank in the familiar eyes the color of swords, and the dark red hair that drifted a little past her shoulders now. All the heartbroken moments he had lived through in the last two years flitted through his mind, every image a reminder of what it had been like to live without the woman in front of him. He could barely breathe his chest hurt so much.   
  
"Trowa?" She breathed, a hint of a question in her voice. She raised her hand hesitantly towards his mask and he let her lift it away to fall beside her feet. Tears welled in her eyes and she began to tremble, the candle weaving dangerously. He reached out and took it from her, more calmly than he felt and set on the steps. Then, with a daring he had saved since the morning she had been captured, he pulled her into a rough embrace, one hand in her silky hair, the other wrapping around her shoulders to hold her tightly against his chest. She immediantly collapsed against him, sobbing uncontrollably, her hands clenching around the fabric of his shirt. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair and skin.   
  
"I can't...believe...it's really...you." She said, between sobs. He shut his eyes painfully, trying to find the words to tell her how close he had come to murdering with his bare hands, to running insane with the agony of his memories, to destroying himself. Even with all these thoughts, his lips could only utter one word.   
  
"Catherine..."  
  
She sobbed even harder and he tightened her arms around her, gathering his strength for what lay ahead.   
  
~Thank you, Rena, for this moment.~  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Heero felt unprotected.   
  
He was dressed in black pants and boots along with a buttonup white shirt. He wasn't wearing his cloak and he felt light without the weight of his twin swords on his back. Furthermore, he was surrounded by people. It made him self-conscious, as if they could look at him and immediantly denounce him for an A'rateken. He was also angry at himself, angry that he felt out of place among humans. He WAS human! It was a part of him, too, and yet, he didn't quite belong anymore.   
  
He walked quickly through the crowds, his dark eyes searching for the sun-kissed hair that would proclaim Relena's location. He finally spotted her playing with a group of children who were laughing and spinning around wildly. As he came close, three of the little ones tackled her and they all went down in a heap of arms and feet. Watching them brought a pang to his heart, a wish for his own childhood, but he quickly suppressed it as Relena noticed him.   
  
"Heero!" She cried, happily, and two of children raised their happy faces to his. In a whirlwind of movement, they had launched themselves at his feet, using their sudden weight to knock him of balance. He landed flat on his back, the air rushing out of his lungs and the two little munchkins flopped down on him laughing. He arched an eyebrow at them as Relena's musical laughter reached his ears. She appeared above him, looking down at him with a smile on her face, her hair falling over her shoulders like sunbeams kissed by stardust. She was breathtaking.   
  
"All right, let him up guys." She said, ruffling their hair. The children jumped up and skipped away laughing, and throwing sly looks back at him. Grunting, he stood and dusted himself off, noticing that Relena seemed to be trying to keep from laughing. He smirked a her.   
  
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." He remarked wryly.   
  
"Now that you're here." She said, pointedly, and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I want to dance."  
  
He blinked in surprise but she was all ready pulling him towards a group of singers, music spilling off their tongues as couples danced gaily in front of them. He let himself be led, wondering at her happiness to be with him. Could this all really be happening? Was he really with the woman he couldn't live his life without?  
  
"Heero," Relena said, breaking his thoughts,"are you all right?"  
  
He summoned a mysterious smile for her.   
  
"Come on." And he led her out onto the 'dance floor'.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Sally sipped slowly on her glass of punch, watching the festivities around her. Duo and Hilde had passed her a few moments ago, halfway drunk all ready, and headed for the dancers. She smiled when she thought of those two, wondering how long it would take them to realize what everyone else already knew. Wufei was around somewhere, glowering because she had made him bring her. Everyone else was enjoying the night off, why shouldn't she?   
  
Suddenly a movement to her left caught her eye, and she focuse on the spot, trying to figure out what had snatched her attention. She frowned as she only saw laughing men and women talking happily amongst themselves. She sighed and relaxed, frustrated with herself.   
  
~Can't even enjoy the night for a second, can you, Sally?~  
  
She squashed the thought and took another sip of her punch, her gaze finding Rena with dancers, being whirled around by a tall, handsome man. She suddenly choked, spraying punch everwhere.   
  
~Heero!~ Her mind screeched, and she firmly got a hold of herself. Trowa had said...but, she hadn't really believed....She took a deep breath and started towards the couple, wondering why Rena hadn't said she had talked with Heero. Determined to find out what was going on, she strode forward, only to be tackled from behind, landing painfully on her stomach.   
  
"Hey there, little rebel, glad to see me?" A voice hissed in her ear. She turned her head and came face to face with glittering skin, slanted eyes....  
  
"A'rateken!" She screamed, as his knee collided with her ribs. She curled into a fetal poistion, finding it hard to breathe...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Heero jerked his head up at the scream, automatically pushing Relena behind him. Immediantly he felt the presence of one of the Mages, he didn't know which one. He hissed between his teeth.   
  
"They're here." He ground out, his power awakening as he called upon it. Relena clutched the back of his shirt just as A'rateken soldiers poured in the festival area, swinging swords and spears. The ground erupted from invisible blows and Heero searched around for the Mage.   
  
Relena pulled on his shirt, trying to get his attention. "Heero, you can't be seen here. You have to go!" She said, a tendril of fear creeping into her voice.   
  
"I'm not leaving you." He said, sternly, eyes on the crowd. She tugged at him again and he finally looked down at her, her eyes shimmering at him.   
  
"Heero, you'll be exposed, you'll never be able to go back." She said, trying to make him understand what he'd be giving up. He reached out and touched her cheek tenderly.   
  
"Better to die a traitor than to lose you again."  
  
She smiled slightly at him and he turned back to the battle, keeping Relena behind him. Wishing he had his swords, he called a shield into place around them, a silver sphere made of earth and wind. It was just in time, too, for a fireball came from nowhere and exploded against it, shaking the ground under their feet.   
  
As the smoke cleared, Takuya appeared wearing a smug smile. Heero growled low in his throat.   
  
"So, " The mage said, snidely, "I see you've switching sides. Joined Rena Bladeheart have you? I'm sure the empress will want to hear this and...oh, what will Ritara say?"  
  
Heero lashed out, flinging an energy blast from his upraised hand. It exploded harmlessly against Takuya's own shield. The Mage laughed.   
  
"Do you think you can win against me, Gharial? You were made from part of my very powers!" He shouted, and Relena gasped as the Mage began to glow with building power. "I will be the one to find the key, not you! And then I will have all the power I will ever need!"  
  
Takuya threw up his hand and called out to the lord of the storm.   
  
Heero threw himself over Relena as lightning struck out of a clear sky, shattering the shield into a million glittering shards.   
  
The world went white.   
  
tbc...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
  
*hides behind her own shield* please don't hurt me! I had to do a cliffhanger! Otherwise this thing would have continued forever! But don't worry, I will have the next part out this week.   
  
hope you guys liked this chapter!  
Stay tuned for: The Key  
  
please review, I need encouragement! *hugs*  
  



	8. The Key

Chapter Eight: The Key  
  
  
"Gharial, awaken."  
  
Pain. Darkness. For a flickering of a second he remembered feeling something like this before, when he had been utterly alone. But the memory fluttered off on transparent wings and he realized that this time was different. Someone was calling him. The voice...it was familiar. Groaning, he strained against the darkness, and was rewarded as his eyes slowly opened, squinting in the unexpected light. A cool hand brushed his forehead.   
  
"Gharial."  
  
He blinked, disoriented and looked towards the voice. His mother sat next to his bed, her dark green hair framing her glittering face, her emerald eyes watching him with a grim look. It was then that he remembered what had happened and he sat bolt upright, clutching his head as a flash of pain struck behind his eyes.   
  
"What happened? Where's Relena?" He asked, trying to look around through the headache. He was in his own chambers.   
  
Ritara grimaced, folding her hands in her lap. "She's being held elsewhere." She said, shortly, a note of anger in her voice. "She is not what you should be worrying about."  
  
He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off with a sharp motion of her hand.   
  
"Don't speak again until I am finished." She said, curtly, glaring at him. "This evening I was quietly relaxing in my chambers when I was suddenly summoned by the empress. When I got there, she pacing the room like a caged animal and she was very angry. Can you imagine why, Gharial?" She didn't let him answer. "She was angry because one of her own Mages had been caught dancing with the enemy!" She abruptly bounded to her feet, her voice rough with anger and stress. "Well, since I knew nothing of all this I did what I could to control it. I told her that it was all part of your plan. That you had been trying to get close to this Rena Bladeheart with the intent of eliminating her. Luckily, she believed me, though you can bet that Takuya is ready to send a stray energy blast your way and claim it was an accident. I don't have to tell you that I am disappointed in you, Gharial, and now I have aligned myself with you. If you fall, so will I." She sank back into her chair, anger replaced with defeat. She looked down at the floor. "I don't pretend to understand what is going on here, Gharial, and I can't protect you forever. I may have deterred her for now, but the empress isn't stupid, and Takuya does not like being made a fool of." She paused, and he leaned forward to touch her hand.   
  
"Something else is bothering you."  
  
She gave a funny little laugh. "Like I don't have enough to worry about." She took a deep breath. "Kagetsu has...taken an interest...in all this."  
  
He frowned, his mind slipping into Perfect Soldier mode. Why would the the last of the Mages be interested in what he was doing? And why did he have the feeling his mother still wasn't telling him everything?  
  
"Gharial," She said, learning towards him earnestly. "Please tell me what is going on. You are my son and I care about you." She touched his temple gently, her magic instantly easing the pain in his head. "You may be human but I was the first thing you saw when you awakened. Can you tell me, please?"  
  
He offered her a half-smile, feeling a strange warmness in his heart at her caring about him. "I trust you, mother." His smile faded. "Mother, when you found me you said that I was barely alive and that, to save my life, you altered my genetic code with that of yours. You did it because you are the most brillant of the Mages and you had promised the empress you would make a weapon for her. As it turned out, you did. I awakened with all the powers of an A'rateken Battle Mage, the ability to tap into a planet's energy for myself, but I also had the heart and soul of a human. Mother, my memories have come back. From the moment I first met Rena Bladeheart on the battlefield I knew that we were connected. As fate would have it, she is my love from my past life. I remember her, and my past with her. She was my reason for living, and still is. So you see, I can't destroy her. I know it was my mission. But I can't, I won't destroy the only thing that means anything to me."  
  
Mission: Denied.  
  
Ritara took a shuddering breath. "Gharial, I realize now that I was foolish to believe that the A'rateken blood in you would shape you into a weapon for the empress. Yes it made you stronger, more powerful, but your human feelings will always keep you from becoming what the empress." She attempted a small smile. "For that, I am grateful for your human flaws. They will be your protection."  
  
He stayed silent, waiting for her to spill what she was keeping from him. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her gaze to her lap again.   
  
"Gharial, at the festival, you protected Rena and yourself enough that you were only affected by the backlash of your shield shattering." She continued, slowly. "Takuya had the both of you brought back here, and then there was the meeting I told you about. I managed to keep you safe but Takuya has imprisoned Rena in the newly finished dungeons beneath the castle."  
  
Heero growled low in his throat and stood quickly, the bedsheets quickly falling away. Ritara stood with him, standing up on tiptoe to place urgent hands on his shoulders. He looked down at her, not bothering to leash the anger in his eyes. She didn't flinch away, knowing it wasn't directed at her.   
  
"Gharial, you must listen to me. Takuya will kill you if you try and save her. He has the advantage of being a Mage for more than a hundred years. He knows his strengths, and his weaknesses. And if you even appear to be sympathic towards this Bladeheart rebel...well, you will not be able to escape being branded a traitor."  
  
"Have faith in your creation. I am not so easy to kill."  
  
"But--"  
  
"I must go." He pulled away from her grip and grabbed the twin swords from their place on the wall. He hefted the strap over his shoulder, letting the familiar weight calm his soul. With these he would live up to his name. Gharial. Double-edged.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"Hilde? Wake up, babe. Come on, open your eyes."  
  
Hilde shifted away from the voice. Why couldn't she just lie still and feel sorry for herself? Her whole body felt bruised and battered and her head pounded where she had hit it when she fell.   
  
"Hilde, please, I know you can hear me."  
  
Groaning, her eyes fluttered open in spite of herself. She blinked wearily as she focused on Duo's drawn face. He gave her a bright smile and squeezed her hand.   
  
"Good morning, sleeping beauty."  
  
She tried to smile but found she hurt too much. "What happened?" She asked, raising herself up on one elbow, Duo's hand on her back to steady her. She remembered a scream and then a flare of pain has something hard had connected with her lower back. She must have hit her head when she fell, causing her to slip into unconsiscousness.   
  
Duo grimaced. "We were attacked. The A'rateken must have been just waiting for us to gather together like this." He hesitated and she gripped his hand.   
  
"Duo, what's wrong?"  
  
"Rena was taken, as well as Heero."  
  
Hilde tried to rise, fear for her friend and leader giving her strength, but Duo pulled her back down to him. She looked to him, confused.   
  
"Duo, we have to--"  
  
"I know, but first we need to get everyone back to hideout. We need a plan."  
  
She nodded, and for the first time, looked at the destruction around them. The festival had been obliterated and she noticed that there had many casualities. She put a hand over her mouth in shock, realizing that not all of those bodies were adults. Grief welled up in her along with the burning hatred that had spurred her interest in the rebellion. She would not let them get away with this. They would pay for what they had done, to her friends, and to the people that had depended on them for hope. The A'rateken would regret this night.   
  
Duo watched her quietly before pulling her gently to her feet, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her standing.   
  
"The others are alive, slightly worse for wear, but alive." He said, gazing around the battlefield. "Sally was the one who gave the alarm and she has a couple of cracked ribs. Wufei is with her but she won't rest until she gives medical attention to the survivors. He may have a couple of bruises but not one of the A'rateken swords touched him. Quatre wasn't here tonight and neither was Trowa." He managed one of his old grins. "Looks like you and me are the worst."  
  
Hilde leaned back to look at him. He was disheveled, dirty, and his braid was coming undone. He had some minor scrapes but he was mostly favoring his right leg, the one he had taken a bullet in three years ago. She clutched his shirt, worry etched across her face.   
  
"Are you all right? Do you need Sally?"  
  
He laughed and tightened his arm around her. "Don't worry about me, babe, the God of Death can take much more than this."  
  
"Bring it on." She supplied for him, and he smiled.   
  
"Exactly."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Rena sat quietly in the middle of her cell, ignoring the damp darkness and the cold stone floor beneath her. She breathed quietly, trying not to agravate the whip lashes down her back. Her summer dress had been shredded by the heated laser of her own weapon, wielded expertly in the hands of Takuya who had seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. She hadn't been able to keep herself from crying out and it rankled in her that she had been unable to deny him that pleasure. She wondered what had happened to Heero. Surely they wouldn't kill him, would they? After all, he was still a Battle Mage, they wouldn't hurt one of their own, would they?  
  
Stiflying a cry of pain, she shifted her weight slightly, trying to keep her legs from falling asleep. She worried about Heero but she worried more for the others at the festival. Heero could handle anything, he was, after all, half A'rateken, but the others had no such powers, and she knew the brutality of the A'rateken soldiers, especially if they had been spurred on by Takuya. She just hoped the others were alright.   
  
"Contemplating your death, Rena Bladeheart?"  
  
Rena jumped, immediantly wishing she hadn't as it pulled hurt muscles in her back. In front of her cell stood a man, an A'rateken, with long dark blue hair and slanted eyes the color of washed out sky. He wore a strange version of the A'rateken armor that was swirled with gold gilt. His face bore an unaffected expression and he was holding a crystal pendant out in front of him by the end of its chain with two fingers. She glowered at him.   
  
"Kagetsu." She spat. Of the three Mages he would be the one to come for her. Takuya was bloodthirsty and jealous of his place with the empress. He did anything to get more power. Ritara was the most intelligent of the three, and she did little actual fighting, preferring her lab over the blood soaked battle grounds. But Kagetsu...he was different. Worse. He was cold, calculating, never distracted by what little emotions A'rateken were capable of feeling. She could see a little of Heero in him...and that frightened her. In battle, he would be the hardest to beat.   
  
"What do you want?" She asked, her voice low, her eyes flashing silver, heralding the awakening of Bladeheart. Kagetsu gave a one shoulder shrug, swinging the pendant a little.   
  
"I wanted to show you something." He said, and abruptly threw the necklace to her. She caught it by reflex and the minute it touched her skin, the transparent crystal swirled with colors. She blinked in the bright light emitting from it, and bent closer to examing the pendant. There was something...in it...  
  
There.  
  
Inside the crystal, a tiny blue green earth revolved in silence, the beauty of the planet reflected in the silver glow. Her eyes grew wide at this tiny marvel and she felt herself...changing. The silver left her eyes and became the dark blue of Relena Peacecraft. Her skin tingled and she felt a light breeze whisper through her hair, and...  
  
With a violent cry she threw the crystal away from her. The crystal died as soon as it left her and rolled to a deceptively innocent stop at Kagetsu's feet. She was breathing heavily, realizing that something had almost happened. Something had almost...  
  
Shaking, she drew her knees to her chest, gazing at the crystal with fear. Kagetsu laughed lightly and reached down to pick it up, holding it loosely in his fist. He looked at her with something close to humor.   
  
"Who would have thought?" He asked, almost to himself, a faint smile on his lips. "Who would have thought that the very thing we were looking for was the one thing we wanted to destroy?" He smirked. "You can feel it, can't you? The power of this planet. The power...and pain." He laughed again. "It is you. You are the one."  
  
She drew in on herself at the look in his eye. "What do you mean?" Her voice was the whisper of a child.   
  
He replied only with more mystery.  
"Who ever posesses the key, can control the planet."  
  
And he looked almost hungrily at her. She closed her eyes.   
  
~Heero, please hurry.~  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Duo, general of the rebellion, ex gundam pilot, and the Shinigami, locked gazes with each of his fellow rebels, judging their reactions to his proposal. Everyone of them met his gaze and there was no fear in their eyes. They were ready, ready to fight again, for themselves, and for the entire earth sphere. For Rena. Hilde nodded once to him and he nodded back. This was it.   
  
He stood, his chair scraping back, and proceed to announce the very thing that would save them, or kill them all.   
  
"Then it is decided. Tomorrow we bring war to the A'rateken. Tomorrow, we begin the seige of the Sank palace."  
  
  
  
tbc...  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Well, how was it? Answer any questions? I'm slowly getting around to explaining everything so don't lose faith! Hey, Blue Angel, how did you like it? You've got pretty good instincts! A BIG thank you to everyone who reviews, I take everything you say to heart and I love it when you tell me what you like, that way I can write more of it! Another thankyou to Jason M. Lee who's reviews always crack me up! *smiles* Anyways, the fic will be getting more AU-ish, I guess, in relation to the A'rateken magic and the key, not too much, but some. I'm also going to start wrapping it up but the last battle will last several chapters so don't worry!  
  
Stay tuned for: First Sparks (be prepared for some good fight scenes)  
  
  
please review! *hugs*  
  



	9. First Sparks

Warning and Author's Note: This is the begining of the end, the final battle is here. And not everyone will make it out alive. I want to warn you that from here to the end there will probably be some 2xH, 3x? --(if you've read any of my other fics you can guess who that will be), 4xC, 6X9 and 5xS. Not much because I will mostly be focused on Heero and Relena. If any thought of these couples disgusts you I would suggest you stop reading now, I would not want you to be offended. This is the last warning I will give and the next few chapters will continue with no interruptions.   
  
Angst, battle, blood, grief, rage, death, sacrifice, and hope ahead. Be prepared.   
  
  
Chapter Nine: First Sparks  
  
  
The world was pulsing, events plummeting toward an end he couldn't see. A sense of urgency coursed through his body, speeding his already enhanced pace. The trip to the newly built dungeons was taking too long. Something was happening and he hated the fact that he had no control. Their were just too many factors. First, Relena was taken from him, then his mother had been forced to lie to protect him. Then there was this interest from Kagetsu, Takuya's jealousy, the attack on the rebels, the empress's fevered search for the key, his new found memories....  
  
He shook his head. He couldn't think of those things right now. Regathering his focus, he drew on the ancient power of the A'rateken, the power to tap into any planet's source of energy. He drew in the heat energy radiated from the earth and tampered with the magnetic field in order to shield himself. He would need every advantage when he fought Takuya. Reaching over his back he loosened the twin swords strapped there. With those he would finish what had started three years ago.   
  
He destroyed the prison door before he even got to it, striding determinedly through the splintered remains. It took him only one glance to see that Relena wasn't there, but Takuya was.   
  
The pale-haired mage rounded on him, fury painted across his face, his body tensed with suppressed power.   
  
"What have you done with her?" He snarled, his hands clenching into fists. Heero stopped a few feet away from the Mage, feeling like he was missing something important.   
  
"You took her, didn't you?" Takuya accused, taking a step forward. "Well, you should probably give her this, I won't be needing it anymore." He threw Relena's laser whip and Heero caught it, anger rising in him as he saw it was covered in blood.   
  
"You hurt her?" He asked, his voice dangerously calm. Takuya spat, his fury at being out done making him reckless.   
  
"You should be proud. She tried to hold back her screams but I drew them out of her. I must say she's quite spirited."  
  
Heero lashed out, a massive energy blast exploding against Takuya's shields. The Mage didn't hesitate, he struck back with an ice wall that Heero cut in half with one of his swords. Heero knew he was too angry to see clearly. Three years ago he would have had no problem with closing off his emotions but he was no longer that person and the mental walls wouldn't go up that high. He could no longer seperate himself from what he was doing.   
  
This fight would be personal.   
  
"I always wondered about you, Gharial," Takuya said, one of Heero's blasts skittering off his shield and burning a hole in the prison wall. "So much power and inhibited with the human's need to reason, to justify everything. Too bad, really. Ritara is brilliant but shortsighted. You see, I know she lied to save you, and what do you think the empress will do when she learns of this little infraction?"  
  
Heero hit away one of Takuya's ice blasts with his sword, his cold gaze on his enemy.   
"Speak of my mother again and I will destroy you." It wasn't boasting, merely the stating of a fact.   
  
Takuya growled.   
  
"And what about your lovely Rena? What will you do with her now? You will never make it out of here alive."  
  
Heero let a blast reflect off his shield and leapt through the clearing smoke to slice at the Mage's shields with both blades. Sheet lightning arched away from the two combatants as the invisible shield refracted the blows. Around them, the prison was in shambles, the released energy tearing the walls down around them. Heero found himself getting impatient. He didn't have time to mess around with Takuya when he still had to find Relena.   
  
"Stop talking and kill me, Takuya." He said, lowly, baitng the Mage. Takuya responded just as he wanted by lunging forward, teeth bared in a snarl. Heero met him with an energy blast, ready to end this pathetic battle.   
  
"Gharial!"  
  
Heero pivoted smoothly, ducking Takuya's blast and letting his own disappear. He put some distance between himself and the angered Mage before adjusting to put the prison door in his sight.   
  
"Mother, I don't have--"  
  
"Gharial." She said again, and something in her voice stopped him. She walked forward a step, her gaze only on him, looking very young and vulnerable though she was close to two hundred years old. She swallowed and spoke again, a controlled calmness in her voice. "Kagetsu has taken Rena to the empress. I saw the three of them enter the Room of Keys. Gharial,"--her hand fluttered towards him--"you know what this means."  
  
Heero felt his heart twist in his chest."Yes."  
  
"Then go to her, my son." Ritara said, coming to stand beside him, her eyes on the seething Takuya. "She needs you. I will take care of things here."  
  
He was floored, his mind telling him Ritara would be hard pressed to defeat Takuya, his heart telling him that Relena was in danger. He was torn between conflicting duties and the strain must have shown on his face for his mother reached up and touched his cheek briefly.   
  
"Do not worry about me, Gharial. Just take care of that young girl of yours." Her hand dropped and she pushed him towards the door. "Go."  
  
With that one word she cut the strings that bound him to her, releasing him from any obligation he might have felt. He lurched away, his feet carrying him from the room, an anguished look on his face. She felt her heart tremble in her chest as she lost sight of him, a part of her gone forever. She gathered the remnants of her courage and met Takuya's sneer.   
  
~Don't forget me, Gharial.~  
  
She stepped forward, head high, a proud look on her face.   
  
"Come and dance with me, Takuya."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Sank Palace was under attack. The rebel army had swarmed down like falcons for the kill. There were thousands of them, each empowered with knowledge that they were fighting for their planet, their very lives. Hope was the only weapon they needed.  
  
Zechs and Noin led the charge against the A'rateken soldiers. They had succeeded in gathering rebels from other areas, bringing them to join the battle in Sank. Without their soldiers, Duo knew they would have stood little chance of rescuing Rena and Heero. The God of Death watched from afar as the rebel army and the A'rateken soldiers clashes, the sound of steel on steel and the cries of the dying. He watched Zechs and Noin for a few moments, seeing them cut a path through the army. He hoped it would not be the last time he laid eyes on them.   
  
He tapped the communicator in his ear, listening through the sudden burst of static.   
"Quatre, come in."  
  
A pause and then--"Quatre here, what is it Duo?"  
  
"Are you in place?"  
  
"Yes, I am right outside the command ship of the A'rateken fleet. They are not well guarded, knowing that none of us can understand the technology they use to pilot them. My mission will not be hard."  
  
"Good. Remember to search them all, Quatre. We can't afford to leave any humans on board."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Duo waited a minute and then called for Sally. "Are you in place to set the explosives?"  
  
"Yes," Came Sally's calm voice. "Wufei and I are just awaiting Quatre's word. Once he is sure the ships are clear we will arm the bombs."  
  
"Good. I'm going in."  
  
Duo leaned down and ran alongside the perimeter wall of the palace, taking out guards as he came to them. His mission was to find Heero and Rena, presuming they were together, and get them out. Hilde had gone to retrieve the secret weapon they had been working on and all of them could be nowhere near the palace when that thing was ready.   
  
Duo gritted his teeth and kicked open the secret doorway Trowa had told him of. Everything about the mission was timed. If someone didn't do their part then the whole thing would crash and burn. It was risky that way, but it was all they had. There would be only one chance to rid themselves of the A'rateken forever and that time was growing nearer. They could not fail.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Trowa slipped through the nearly deserted hallways. Everyone was either off fighting the rebel army or protecting the empress. Anyone who saw him barely gave him a glance, taking him for a servant. He didn't care anyway. His mission was to find Catherine and get her out before Hilde's plan went into action. It was easier said than done. Catherine had handed over all the information she knew about the empress down to her favorite tea. Most importantly she had told them where the empress's rooms were located and other important areas. They now had the information they needed to find and asassinate the empress, and in the midst of war, it would be even simpler. Unfortunately, it was not as simple to find Catherine. He had assumed she would be near the empress but he couldn't seem to find either of them, and the clock was ticking. Even if they failed in eliminating the empress, he still had to get Catherine out. Who knew how Hilde's secret weapon would work?  
  
Trowa quickened his pace, eyes focused on the distance.   
  
~Wait for me, Catherine. I'm coming.~  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Quatre ran through the interior hallways of the A'rateken starship, looking for human faces. It was a shame they were going to destroy the grounded fleet, the technology was marvelous! But it all had to go, if they wanted to end this war forever.   
  
He slowed his pace as he entered a set of rooms, searching for slaves or servants that needed to be freed before the coming Armageddon. The place was empty and he began to feel frustrated. He knew that hundreds of people had been taken, either to serve the empress or for some other unknown purpose. Catherine had been such a one. So where were they? They couldn't all be in the palace.   
  
The click of a safety going off stopped him cold in his tracks, a tingle running up his spine. Sighing to himself, he raised his arms behind his head, regretting that he was going to have to kill whoever this was. Nothing could get in the way of his mission. There was no time.   
  
"Turn slowly, human, and don't do anything stupid. I don't have time to waste on killing idiots."  
  
Quatre stiffened and turned, a retort born of stress on his lips, but it died instantly as he took in the person before him. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, almost painfully. Betrayal was clear in his eyes. He swallowed.   
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
  
tbc...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
Author's Note: One thing about this fic is, don't assume anything. I'm still trying to get everything in so bear with me! *grins* I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and sorry there was no Rena in it. She'll appear next time. Finally got Dorothy in there for all you Dorothy fans. Don't worry, everything will be revealed!! I didn't do as much with the battle scenes as I wanted to so they will be in the next one, too. Several more chapters to go so stay tuned! I love you guys!  
  
A big thankyou and hug to my new friend luvspook who's enthusiasm is inspiring. *hugs*  
  
Next chapter: Foreshadowed  
  
  
please review! and thanks for reading!   
  



	10. Foreshadowed

Chapter Ten: Foreshadowed  
  
  
She was floating in a world full of white feathers and soft clouds, a haunting melody drifting past her ears. It was peaceful there, no worries, no war, just a pale nothingness that surrounded her in comfort. She turned her head slowly to examine this new world, amazed at how light she felt. It was like a dream, so quiet and calm. She tried to wonder why she felt so detached but the pulsing of the serene world around her kept her thoughts and memories at bay. She could only concentrate on the present, with no compulsion to think of the past or future. She gazed around idly, seeing only white as far as the eye could see. She was completely alone.   
  
Alone.  
  
She felt the first stirrings of fear. She was standing in the middle of nothing, utterly isolated. Where was she? Why was she all alone? She huddled in on herself, a feeling of claustrophobia setting in. She didn't want to be alone.   
  
Do not be afraid, little one. We are here with you.  
  
She looked up as the gentle voice echoed through the cavernous regions of the strange place. She could see nothing but the words took the edge off her fear.   
  
"Where are you?" She asked, like a child, trying vainly to see something admist all that white.   
  
We are with you. You are one of us.  
  
She relaxed slightly, her spirit calming under the sweet tone of the voice. She had been silly to believe she had been abandoned, they had always been with her. A doubt flickered in her mind. Hadn't they?  
  
"One of you?" She asked, softly, looking upward. "What are you?"  
  
We are the Keys.  
  
Ah, yes, she had always known that. Why did she insist on questioning things she had always known? Hadn't she always been a Key? Destined to unite galaxies and save her planet? Again the doubt plagued her. It seemed like there had been more than this lifeless word. Another place full of color and darkness, and...someone dear to her. She shook her head. She had always been here, with the voices. What was wrong with her?  
  
Little one, you must hold steady. They are calling you. Fight them and protect your Earth. Do not betray us.  
  
"Calling me? Who?" She asked, sensing the urgency in the quiet words. Off in the distance she felt a presence, a spot of darkness in her pale land. And it was coming for her. Fear struck up within her again, realizing that she didn't know what to do. She had no way to protect herself. Strangely, her hand moved towards her waist, flickering towards something that wasn't there. She frowned, the sense of that other place fluttering through her mind. She shook her head and looked towards the darkness rushing towards her. A loud voice boomed across the emptiness, the sudden sound causing her to clap her hands over her ears in pain.   
  
"UNLOCK THE SPHERE, RENA BLADEHEART." The female voice snapped, "I WILL HAVE THIS PLANET. JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS."   
  
She was confused. Who was this Rena Bladeheart? She stood, frozen in place by fear and the female voice spoke again, though this time it seemed it wasn't aimed at her.   
  
"Kagetsu, secure her. I will have to do this myself."  
  
Relena jerked as she felt something force her arms over head and clasp her wrists together. She struggled against the invisible shackles, crying out to the gentle voice she had heard before.   
  
"Help me!" She cried, "I don't want to do...whatever it is she wants me to. Please! Help me!"  
  
We cannot protect you, little one. Only you can withstand the Holder of the Keys. Fight her and save us. We are with you.   
  
Even as the voice spoke, a form materialized before her. A little fuzzy at first, it soon resolved itself into a strange, yet beautiful person with odd slanted eyes and shining skin. From the depths of her mind came the name of this sudden image.   
  
"The empress." She whispered, and the imperial ruler of the A'rateken threw back her head and laughed, a gratingly harsh sound. Relena tugged against the bonds that held her. Her thoughts were hazy but she knew deep down that if she didn't free herself she would be forced to do something she could not do, or risk damning the whole planet to a future of domination.   
  
"So, the rebel leader turns out to be the Key." The empress laughed, studing her. "I suppose I should have known it would be you. Only a Key would have been able to survive the coming of the Imperial Order and lead a counter attack. Yes, I should have seen it, but then, even my mages failed to realize it at first. " She scoffed, "A bunch of worthless children they are. I don't know why I keep them, except that they do amuse me. Even as we speak, my pitiful Ritara is battling Takuya in some misguided attempt to save her son." She paused thoughtfully, "You know, it is quite odd, but Ritara is almost...human in her love for that boy." She sniffed to show what she thought of that. "Pathetic, really. She will die for that mistake."  
  
Everything was rushing back, in a tumble of past words and situations as Relena realized what the empress was saying. How could she have forgotten the Earth? It was the temptation of a peaceful world and the seduction of the gentle voice that had lured her into forgetting. She must be on guard if she was going to figure a way out of this.   
  
"What do you mean die?" She asked, struggling to free herself from whatever invisible foe held her. "Save her! You have the power!"  
  
"Yes, I do," The empress snarled, clenching her fingers around Relena's throat. "And you have the power to hand me the earth on a silver platter. I WILL have this planet and you will give it to me, or you will die." The fingers tightened painfully. "Invoke the power of the Keys. I am running out of patience."  
  
Relena swallowed convulsively and glared at the empress.   
"Save Heer...Gharial's mother and I will."  
  
The empress gritted her teeth, no longer looking beautiful. "Do not bargain with death, girl. I am the Holder of the Keys and, with or without you, I will have the Earth. It is only a matter of time."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"Dorothy, is it really you? Why are you--?"  
  
"Be quiet, Quatre."   
  
Quatre flinched back, betrayal flitting across his face. Dorothy, wearing the armor of the A'rateken, kept her gun leveled at him. There was no room for sympathy in her face, and her eyes showed no weakness. Quatre felt his heart shrinking inward, a coldness stealing over him, a remnant of the zero system. She had become one of the enemy, aligning herself with the makers of war, but of course, that had always been her way. She had betrayed Rena and the rest of them.   
  
She had betrayed him.  
  
"What are you doing here, Quatre?" She asked, her voice shaded with sarcasm. "Why aren't you waiting patiently for those who would fight? Secluded somewhere, listening for the end of the war?"  
  
A deep sadness filled his eyes. "Battles for freedom call everyone, not just the soldiers."  
  
Dorothy shrugged, keeping her arm steady. "Leave here, Quatre. This is no place for you."  
  
"And for you?" He shot back, half pleading, half demanding. "Is this the right place for you?"  
  
She turned away from him suddenly, pocketing her sidearm. "War has always been my playground. I am trapped in it as surely as you are trapped in a warrior's body beating with the heart of a pacifist."  
  
He dropped his arms, feeling everything slip away from him. All these years. All these years she had been right in front of them, foreshadowed in the faces of every A'rateken they had killed. He should have known, should have realized, should have seen.   
  
"So you've been defeated, Dorothy." He said, quietly, watching her back tense under his words. "You chose the wrong side. Those who fight for freedom will always prevail. You will be crushed along with A'rateken." He sighed. "I though better of you, Dorothy. I'm disappointed."  
  
She whirled to face him, her eyes spitting blue fire. "How dare you speak to me like you know what I've been through!" She hissed, "You have no right to judge me, Quatre. I've done as I saw fit, for the good of those I fight for. Whether or not you approve matters little to me. Save your pity. I have no room for it."  
  
He met her angry gaze, calmly, feeling lifeless inside. She growled angrily and spun on her heel, stalking out of the room. As soon as she was out of sight, he sagged visibly, tears pricking his eyes.   
  
"Then perhaps you have no room for me either, Dorothy."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
With a motion of his hand, the door to the Room of Keys exploded inward just as Heero ran in, fury becoming his strength. Even as the echo of his blast died away, his eyes found her and filled with raging emotions. Relena was shackled against the circular wall, dressed in the same summer blue dress she had been wearing at the festival only now it was shredded and blood-splattered. Her eyes were closed but her chest rose and fell with the blessed signs of life. Heero hands clenched into fists as his gaze shifted to the slim figure standing before her. The empress stood rigidly, her slanted eyes glazed over and staring vacantly above Relena's head. He moved forward, his purpose clear in his step when a deep voice sounded from across the room.  
  
"Hold, Gharial."  
  
Kagetsu unfolded himself from the wall, watching him with a cold gaze. Heero turned slightly to face him, keeping Relena within his circle of protection.   
  
"Kill the empress and you condemn that young girl to live forever in a white world between galaxies. They are both there now, and the empress will soon have what she desires. As will I."  
  
"And just what is it that you desire, Kagetsu?" Heero asked, his voice made of ice. The Battle Mage smiled slightly.   
  
"The empress, of course."   
  
Heero drew both swords, crossing the blades as Kagetsu suddenly lashed out, a beam of pure light exploding against Heero's shields and peeling the paint from the walls. With a wordless battle cry, Heero launched himself bodily at the other man. He was tired of the useless battles fought safely behind magnetic shields. He thirsted for the fullfillment of close combat, man to man. Swinging one of his swords, he sliced cleanly through Kagetsu's shield, the silver sphere bursting like a pricked bubble. The Mage stepped back, startled by the physical attack. But he regained composure quickly. He unsheathed his curved A'rateken blade, slipping into a swordman's stance. Immediantly, Heero threw aside the sword in his left hand, keeping the one in his right and crossing it with Kagetsu's.   
  
"And so it begins," The Mage said, almost grinning. And it did.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Ritara staggered away, collapsing on her back at the entrance to the prison. Her dark green hair spilled over the stone steps, along with an ever growing pool of dark red blood. One hand over the wound in her chest, she vainly tried to draw air into her battered lungs. She turned her head slightly, her vision all ready fuzzy and out of focus but not so much that she couldn't see the still form of her opponent. A small smile graced her lips and she looked skyward, suddenly feeling light and at peace.   
  
~Farewell, Gharial. Remember how much I love you and be strong.~  
  
She breathed out quietly, her eyes drifting shut.   
  
The room fell silent.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Heero wrenched aside, narrowly avoiding Kagetsu's blade, as a presence filled the air around him. It enveloped him briefly, not enough to hamper his awareness but he knew instantly what it was and how it had come to be.   
  
Remember how much I love you and be strong...  
  
A gaping sense of loss opened within him, eating at his heart and mind. With a cry that was half a sob, he reached out to the presence as it released him.   
  
"Mother!"  
  
Farewell, Gharial...  
  
"Mother! Wait!"   
  
She was gone.  
  
Grief and anger took over. He whirled and furiously slashed at Kagetsu, his eyes blazing. Kagetsu hurriedly tried to block his sword, sensing the burst of energy in his oponent. Blue lightning arched and spit each time their blades met, but Heero did not let up. He drove Kagetsu back into a corner, his teeth gritted. He feinted, pivoted and raked his blade across the Mage's knee. Kagetsu cried out, but there was no stopping Heero. He swung around and, in a movement too fast for the eye to catch, disarmed the wounded Mage. Kagetsu only had time for a gasp of surprise before he fell backwards, his leg unable to support him.   
  
His dark blue eyes burning with an unearthly fire, Heero stepped forward, the razor edge of his sword against Kagetsu's neck. The Mage looked up at him, a sneer on his face.   
  
"You wouldn't really--"  
Heero interrupted him.   
  
"Omae o korosu."  
  
And he flicked his wrist once.   
  
There was a short breathless silence before the sound of a sword clattering to the floor sounded through the room, and Heero turned away, the light dying in his eyes. His mother had been avenged.   
  
tbc....  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Well, was it good? Hope this can tide you over till the next chapter. It will be out this weekend. Dorothy lovers don't kill me, please, everything will resolve itself, for good or bad. *smiles* hope you guys enjoyed this one, and I'm writing as fast as I can! thanks for all the great reviews, I really appreciate them!   
  
Next chapter: Between Galaxies  
  
please review *hugs*  
  



	11. Between Galaxies

Chapter Eleven: Between Galaxies  
  
  
She couldn't breathe, her lungs burned with agony. The clawed fingers around her throat were closing off her airway and she struggled to live. The empress's blue-green eyes swirled with madness and a thirst for power. The imperial princess would think nothing of killing her to get what she wanted. Relena shifted against her invisible shackles weakly, her stength leaking out of her as her brain shut down from lack of oxygen. She stared vacantly out at the white world around her, mentally calling for the one person who could save her. Even if she died she would not invoke the power of the Keys, whatever it was. She would protect the earth, and Heero.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Heero turned to where Relena was still shackled against the wall, the empress standing solidly before her. How easy it would be to kill that evil woman now, while she was helpless, but he couldn't. Kagetsu had said it would trap Relena in a space between galaxies and he would never do anything to endanger Relena. He walked forward wearily, his tired mind still sharp and processing the situation. He would have to be careful in whatever he decided. This time nothing would be sacrificed.   
  
Suddenly, off to his right, the empress jerked and in front of him, Relena began to shudder, an expression of pain flitting across her sweet face. Instantly he filled the gaping sense of loss within with anger and fury. He pounded a fist across the shackles holding Relena's wrists. The metal bulged under his blow and he caught Relena's abused body as it slipped from imprisonment. He wrapped his arms around her limp form and touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes.   
  
Between galaxies...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
He is coming.  
  
The gentle voice drifted through the darkness that was threatening to consume her. She knew it was the Keys who spoke but her muddled mind did not comprehend who they were talking about. Before her, the empress suddenly stiffened, her hold on Relena relaxing as she looked off to the left with apprehension. Relena turned her head slightly, trying to see through her blurry gaze. Crystal shards of dark blue, earth brown, and moon silver were racing towards them, the colors emphasized against the colorless landscape. She thought, for a moment, she saw the shadow of a man in those colors but she couldn't be sure. She felt so weak.   
  
Be brave, little one. He comes.  
  
The colors flew to a stop right next to her and resolved into the beautiful image of Heero, dressed in the dark cloak and armor of his other half, Gharial. Strangely, he was missing both of his swords but he still looked dangerous. The minute he was visible he shot a blast of white-blue fire at the empress, who released Relena to avoid getting hit. Heero caught her as she fell, and Relena looked up into his dark Prussian blue eyes, finding them filled with love and frustrated worry. He touched her face gently and she saw within him a sadness that hadn't been there before. She opened her mouth to ask what had happened when grating laughter filled her ears.  
  
"Ah, how sweet." The empress mocked, watching them with disdain. "The two lovers are reunited in time to bring down the evil sorceress. Isn't that how all your earthlings stories go?" She sniffed and her eyes focused on Heero. "Gharial, you of all people, must know that this resistance is hopeless. I have all the powers of my ancestors and I will use it all to gain the last Key."  
  
Relena looked up at Heero, her eyes asking the question. He looked down at her with grim determination. "She may have power," He said, softly, "But you have the heart.   
  
I believe in you."  
  
She smiled suddenly, feeling a little of his strength leak into her as it always did when he was around. She used that strength to turn and look the empress in the eye. She didn't know really what she should do, only that she had to try for the sake of the world. Heero believed in her and she would not let him down.   
  
She drew her arms over her head, crossing them at the wrists, and clearing her mind of any stray thoughts. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Would this work? If she really was a Key, could she call on the others? Could she do this?  
  
Call on us. We are with you.  
  
"Ancient powers of distant realms." She recited, the words slipping off her tongue as she heard them in her mind. At her feet, a silver nexus of power appeared, revolving slowly around her and causing her dark gold hair to drift around her in an unseen wind.   
  
"Spirits that bring the power of their spheres from the night sky." Two tendrils of light emerged from the nexus, swirling around her to merge into a ball of light between her crossed palms.   
  
Before her, the empress watched with glee, thinking that Relena was finally calling the Keys for her. She would have the earth yet.  
  
"Hear my call and answer my plea!" The ball of light pulsed and a violent wind tore through the lifeless world, whiping Heero's cloak around him and causing the empress to take a step back. Relena suddenly opened her eyes, staring directly at the empress.   
  
"Kenta mahvra celinda! Come to me, my Keys!"  
  
For a moment, Relena's slim form was outlined by a pair of glittering white angel wings and behind her, Heero could have sworn that he saw a group of individuals, strange and unique, all called from their different worlds by the power of the woman he loved. Then the ball of light exploded outward and the images were lost. A huge tidal wave of blindingly white power spread away from Relena in huge ripples. The empress gave an exultant cry as the first one washed over her but after a moment, a surprised look flitted across her face and began to scream in torment, as if her soul was being ripped out of her. The scream howled through the air as the power crackled around Relena and Heero came to her, wrapping his cloak around her to protect her from what she called forth. A high pitched explosion sounded close by and the pale world cracked and went dark.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Quatre headed quickly towards the outer levels of the ship. He had gotten all the surviving humans off and had dealt accordingly with the A'rateken. Things were ready where he was standing and he could only hope things had gone as well with the others. He only had to give the word to Sally and his mission would be complete.   
  
He stopped before exiting the ship to take a look at the explosives Sally had rigged. They were put in place and she carried the detonator that would set them off once he had given the word. Everything was right.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?"  
  
Quatre was suddenly tackled from behind, the air rushing out of his lungs from the blow. He was then abruptly hauled to his feet by an A'rateken guard who glared at him while sneaking glances at the bomb.   
  
"What are you doing here, rebel scum?" He hissed, his slanted eyes flashing. He pulled his sword from its sheath and slid it against Quatre's neck. The ex-pilot had no time to react as another sword blade suddenly appeared in the guard's chest, a pool of red immediantly spreading from the wound. The A'rateken fell and Quatre quickly freed himself from the deam man's grip. He turned to face his rescuer only to find Dorothy running towards him.   
  
"What...?" He started, but Dorothy went past him to draw her sword from the body which had collapsed on top of the bomb. Apprehension filled Quatre as he bent down and moved the dead guard to see if his fall had damaged the explosives. His quick eyes found the problem and he quickly tapped his communicator.   
  
"Sally, I think we've got a problem."  
  
"What is it, Quatre?"  
  
"The bomb's been damaged. I think the homing beacon has been broken."  
  
Sally and Wufei had but a homing beacon on the bomb which would act as a target when Wufei fired a pair of missiles from the high ridge close to the city. The missiles would explode on impact, causing the bombs to explode and the whole place to go up in smoke. Nothing could survive, the A'rateken must be wiped out forever. That was how it was planned, but now...  
  
"Quatre, if we don't have the homing beacon we can't fire the missiles, and the explosives don't have enough power to destroy all the ships alone. Can you fix it?"  
  
He peered at the wires intently, touching one lightly with his fingers. Dorothy watched him silently. " I think so."  
  
He leaned over the bomb, touching various wire until he got an answer.   
By holding the wire in place, he got the beacon to flash again, emitting its tracking signal.   
  
"It's working." Dorothy stated flatly and he nodded once.   
  
"If I hold it in place it will work." He said, softly. Dorothy suddenly moved, pushing him harshly away from the explosives, her eyes flashing with anger.   
  
"What do you think you are doing, Quatre?" She said, practically bristling. "Do you think you can just die with no qualms? There are people who need you, Quatre. Rena and the others. Your the backbone, the mind, without you they would be lost."  
  
He hesitated. "What are you saying, Dorothy?  
  
Instead of answering, she reached down and held the beacon in place, causing the light to flash again, steadily. He felt himself go cold all over.  
  
"Dorothy, I can't let you. You may have chosen the wrong side but I can't let you die for a cause your not sure of. Come away, we'll figure something out."  
  
"Quatre," She said, quietly. "You may think that I betrayed you, but I do have my reasons. War calls me, as it always has, but I never gave up hope that you and the others would suceed, though I thought it unlikely. This is the only way. I am warrior, and I want to die a warrior's death. Let me do this, Quatre. I know in my heart this is right."  
  
There were no words. Even after all these years he still thought of her as a friend and his heart was screaming to haul her away as fast as he could. But his mind understood what she was saying. This was who she was and he knew he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it.   
  
"Go, Quatre, let me do this for everyone who wishes for liberation."  
  
He closed his eyes and tapped his communicator.  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"Yes, Quatre?"  
  
"The ships are clear."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Duo raced through the empty corridors of the Sank palace, searching wildly for Heero and Rena. He knew that Hilde was in place to destroy the palace, something all of them were reluctant to do, but it would be a signal to the A'rateken that their domination was over. It had to be done.   
  
And time was running out. He needed to find those two before the place was blown off the maps. Well, if anyone could find them, the God of Death could.   
  
"Ready or not, here I come!"  
  
  
tbc...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
whew! *takes a deep breath* okay, how was it? Good, bad, ugly? More angst and action coming up! A big thank you to all you loyal reviewers! (Nim, sweetangel, jason, jay, luvspook, padme, ayanami-chan, ducky, neekabe, jade, empress, silver, silverwing, Grrl, angelic, nightheart ) you guys are great!  
  
*looks at Jason warily* please don't hurt me about Dorothy! She's awesome! Hey, at least she wasn't bad! *hides behind her shield* Put down the flamethrower!  
  
Next Chapter: ...On Feathered Wings...  
  
please review, *hugs*  
  



	12. ...On Feathered Wings...

Chapter Twelve: ...On Feathered Wings...  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero came awake slowly, a blinding headache making his thoughts hazy and   
indistinct. Faint were the memories of pain and the almost deafening sound of   
the huge explosion that had destroyed a whole world. He just felt strangely   
heavy now, a comfortable warmth on his chest and something soft brushing his   
jaw. Gathering the remnants of his weary strength, he opened his eyes to a slit,   
before immediately closing them again. Colors, too many colors. Where had they   
all come from? All he could remember was white.   
  
  
  
Bracing himself, he opened his dark blue eyes again, blinking rapidly to dispel   
the brightened fuzziness. Above him sparkled a broken chandelier, twisting on   
its slanted axis and he realized he was lying on his back in the Room of Keys.   
  
  
  
Relena.  
  
  
  
He tried to sit up, anxiety for her safety rushing through him, before he   
realized that the weight on his chest was Relena's slender frame. She was   
unconscious, her angelic face pale and her ever-changing eyes closed. Her dark   
gold hair lay spread across him like a fan and she breathed shallowly, halfway   
wrapped in his dark cloak. He straightened slightly, cradling her against him.   
She looked like a war-torn pixie who had been through everything to save the   
world she loved. Her back bore the whip lashes of Takuya's blood thirst and her   
body and mind suffered from the exhaustion of calling upon the powers of all the   
Keys who had been imprisoned in the space between galaxies. He still couldn't   
believe that she was the Key of Earth, the only one who could command the powers   
of the planet and save it from the empress's greedy ambition. And she had. She   
had invoked the power of the Keys and released all the others from their pale   
prison, the very act destroying it and severing the ties to the empress. Heero   
glanced over at the crumbled shape of the imperial princess, the once proud   
Holder of the Keys. The evil woman had taken the Keys from each world she had   
conquered, taking their power for herself so that she could rule without   
question. That had been why the rebels had so angered her. No world had dared to   
deny her before, until now.   
  
  
  
He tightened his arms around Relena as the palace shook with impact tremors,   
paint chips were falling from the ceiling and the walls creaking with stress.   
The war still must have been raging outside and if he knew anything about his   
friends of so long ago, they would not rest until the entire palace was in   
rubble.   
  
  
  
A subtle shifting in the earth's energy around him alerted him to the sudden   
presence. He looked up sharply, a protective gleam in his eyes as the God of   
Death entered the destroyed room. The braided general stopped at the doorway,   
his violet eyes wide as he took in Heero, Relena, and the fallen empress.   
  
  
  
"Heero," He said, with almost a final tone in his voice, as if he had just   
learned something he hadn't quite believed in. "Are you all right?" He made no   
move to get closer, something about Heero's posture telling him his long lost   
friend was in a dangerous mood.   
  
  
  
"I'm fine." He said, flatly, "But I need to get Relena out of here." Heero   
struggled to his feet, holding Relena in his arms. She groaned softly, her small   
hand clenching around the fabric of his shirt. He gritted his teeth and looked   
to Duo with a curt nod. Understanding, Duo turned and led him out of the   
crumbling palace.   
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
Hilde stood rigidly, watching the palace. Beside her, two rebels worked to   
stabilize the large laser cannon she and Duo had constructed over the last year.   
It would be the last part to the end of the Imperial Order. She really wanted to   
talk to Rena. This was the Sank palace, homeland of Relena Peacecraft, it would   
kill her to destroy it and for some reason, she really wanted to have Rena's   
permission before ordering the strike.   
  
  
  
"Hilde?"  
  
  
  
She tapped her communicator. "Duo?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah, I found Heero and Rena. We are just exiting the palace."  
  
  
  
"Duo, is Rena all right? Can I ask her something?"  
  
  
  
"She's out of it, babe. I don't know what's happened but both of them look like   
they've been to hell and back. I'm bringing them to Sally, they're going to need   
medical attention. "  
  
  
  
Hilde's shoulders slumped. "All right. Are you a safe distance away?"  
  
  
  
"Go for it, babe."  
  
  
  
She steeled herself and brought the controller up to her field of vision,   
staring at the switch. Just once...just once...  
  
  
  
"Initiating countdown.  
  
  
  
10...  
  
  
  
9...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
Trowa pulled Catherine behind him as they raced away from the palace as fast as   
they could. For some reason his communicator had started working only one-way,   
allowing him to hear transmissions but not send them. He knew that the palace   
was going to blow, he had to make sure they were far away when that happened. He   
would not let anything happen to Catherine. He refused to lose her again.   
  
  
  
Behind him, Catherine squeezed his hand, feeling his thoughts. As he looked back   
she smiled gently, her eyes flashing silver.   
  
  
  
They ran on.  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
8...  
  
  
  
7...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
Noin called her armies away from the palace in what looked like a retreat to the   
A'rateken soldiers. Her rebels moved back as one, hefting shields in place,   
preparing for the explosion. The A'rateken cheered, thinking the rebels had   
given up. Noin looked to Zechs, her eyes meeting his from a few feet away. Her   
heart ached as she saw the crystal shimmer in them as he drew his gaze away from   
the only home he had ever known. True, it wasn't the same now, but oh, how he   
had wanted to raise a family in the palace.   
  
  
  
She continued to back away, making sure her men followed. This would be the end   
of everything.  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
6...  
  
  
  
5...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
Heero stood on the hilltop, Relena cradled in his arms, depending on him to   
protect her when she could do nothing. He looked down at her, emotions running   
across his face. How strong she had become. The brave and fearless Rena   
Bladeheart, the sweet and innocent Relena Peacecraft. It didn't matter what name   
she wore, as long as he could be by her side. He loved everything about her, and   
now, they would end what had begun three years ago.   
  
  
  
Once and for all.  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
4...  
  
  
  
3...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
flashback  
  
  
  
Heero danced with Relena under the full moon, listening to the soft music from   
the festival players. He twirled her under his arm before pulling her back,   
never wanted her far from him. She smiled at him and leaned into his embrace,   
the scent of lilacs drifting from her hair.   
  
  
  
"Will you stay with me, Heero?" She asked, softly, her eyes glowing with the   
moonlight. "I know it's wrong to ask you, but.."  
  
  
  
He placed a finger against her lips, silencing her.   
  
  
  
"Aishiteru, Relena."  
  
  
  
She blinked at him, not understanding and he leaned down to brush his lips   
against hers.   
  
  
  
Now that was something she understood.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
2...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
"I remember you, Relena, I remember."  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
1...  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
  
Finally, it would be the end of this nightmare.   
The end of shadows.   
The end of pain.  
  
  
  
The end of this life and the beginning of the next..  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
0...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *   



	13. Epilogue

Epilogue  
Three days later...  
  
  
  
who can say where the road goes  
where the day flows  
only time  
and who can say if your love grows  
as your heart chose  
only time  
  
  
  
Duo leaned back against the rough bark of the tree, his dark violet eyes   
wandering over the quiet landscape. It was strange to think that just a few days   
ago this field had been a battle ground. It still looked trampled and the ground   
was rent in several places but the grass was already growing back, and here and   
there he could discern tiny pink flowers growing among the carnage. Behold, the   
power of life over death.   
  
  
  
He smirked to himself, wondering if the title of the God of Death still suited   
him. As he looked out over the green earth he felt nothing but a comfortable   
weariness, a desire to be still and listen to the world's song. Just standing   
there, silently, he realized how much he had missed in the past three years. He   
had missed living, breathing, the feel of the sun on his back and the kiss of   
the moon on the water. The time had slipped away from him, and now that the   
rebellion was over he was a little at odds. The stress and single-mindedness of   
the war had drifted away and the new way of things had started. What was he to   
do with himself if he didn't have something to fight for?  
  
  
  
"Duo no baka, get over here and help me."   
  
  
  
Hilde.   
  
  
  
Now there was something he would gladly fight for. Grinning to himself, he   
straightened and made his way down the hillside to where Hilde was rummaging   
through the rubble of what had once been the Sank palace. What she hoped to find   
was beyond him, but he said nothing. For some reason she seemed abnormally upset   
that she had been the one to order the destruction of this once peace oriented   
capital. He didn't really understand why, but knew it had something to do with   
Rena, or rather, Relena. People died in wars and nations rose and fell, he had   
seen enough of it to know it to be true, and it was no different this time. The   
A'rateken had been all but destroyed, the survivors scattered to the wind to   
live as outcasts. Nothing remained of their empire except the smoky debris he   
saw before him. Hilde kneeled in the chaos, looking through the ash and soot for   
some remnant of the past that she could give to her friend. He came to stand   
slightly behind her, watching her with humour.   
  
  
  
"You called, my dear?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, I called." She said, irritated but immediately smiled up at him to show   
she didn't mean it. "Help me look."  
  
  
  
He sighed. "Hilde, come on, you're not going to find anything in this stuff.   
Besides, the empress would have thrown out all of Relena's things. She hated   
humans."  
  
  
  
"You never know, Duo, beside I want to give her something. This was her home,   
after all."  
  
  
  
Duo sighed again and bent down to rummage through the remains of a long ago   
life.  
  
  
  
who can say why your heart sighs  
as your love flies  
only time  
and who can say why your heart cries  
when your lies  
only time  
  
  
  
Quatre knelt slowly, placing the bouquet of pale roses on the gray headstone   
before him. The wind tugged his platinum locks into his blue-green eyes and he   
brushed them away, impatiently. He reached out and traced the engraved words,   
tenderly.   
  
  
  
Dorothy Catalonia  
Rest in peace, brave soul.  
  
  
  
Simple, elegant. He thought Dorothy would have wanted it that way. She was   
probably watching him that minute, laughing at how solemn he looked and making   
some sarcastic remark about how only children should cry.   
  
  
  
He smiled sadly, and looked up into the dawning sky.   
"Who would have thought you would save us, Dorothy?" He asked, a slight catch in   
his voice. He hadn't told the others everything about what had happened, saying   
only that she had died for the cause. He didn't want to put any guilt on Sally   
and Wufei. It hadn't been anyone's fault. Dorothy had made the choice for all of   
them.   
  
  
  
"Farewell, my friend." He whispered, and stood, feeling a sudden strength come   
over him. Her strength.   
  
  
  
"Yes," He whispered to her, "It is time to start again."  
  
  
  
who can say when the roads meet  
that love might be  
in your heart  
and who can say when the day sleeps  
if the night keeps  
all your heart  
  
  
  
Trowa watched his Arabian friend from a distance, Catherine standing slightly   
behind him, his constant source of life and will. Her right arm was in a sling,   
testimony to their mad run from the exploding palace and the lacerations on his   
back from flying debris made him stand rather stiffly. Watching Quatre, he   
realized just how much they had all been through in the space of a week. If   
Heero hadn't returned, what might have happened? Would Relena have been strong   
enough to beat the empress without him? They would never know, but it did seem   
like fate had had this end in mind from the beginning.   
  
  
  
A light touch on his shoulder brought him back from his thoughts and he turned   
to drown in steel silver eyes.  
  
  
  
"Ready?"  
  
  
  
He nodded once, remaining silent, as he followed her away from the graveyard and   
towards the city, where the new day awaited them.   
  
  
  
night keeps all your heart  
  
  
  
Sally approached Wufei slowly, careful of the warrior's temper. She knew that he   
was aware of her, and she stood quietly, waiting for him to speak.   
  
  
  
"It's over." His deep voice was solemn.  
  
  
  
"Yes, it is." She replied, just as gravely.   
  
  
  
"What's left?"  
  
  
  
"Life."  
  
  
  
He glanced back at her and she smiled gently, feeling his sense of loss. She   
went on.   
  
  
  
"This battle is over, but there is a new cause to defend. The right to live a   
normal and happy life without fear and without oppression."  
  
  
  
She paused.   
  
  
  
"Do not live to fight, fight to live."  
  
  
  
Something flashed across his face and he turned away from her, watching the   
horizon again.   
  
  
  
"If that is so, then I am ready for battle." He said, lightly.   
  
  
  
She smiled.   
  
  
  
who can say if your love grows  
as your heart chose  
only time  
  
  
  
"Heero?"   
  
  
  
"Hmm?" He questioned, as he lay sprawled out on his back in the long grass, eyes   
closed. Relena's head shifted on his chest and a lock of dark gold hair tickled   
his skin as the wind ruffled over them.   
  
  
  
"It feels different now. The earth, I mean."  
  
  
  
He opened his dark eyes slightly to look at her, meeting the ocean-colored gaze   
of a Peacecraft. "It's free."  
  
  
  
"And so are we." She replied, softly. He tightened his arm around her and she   
snuggled closer to him, still slightly drained from her ordeal. She had told him   
that the events of that fateful day were blurry, details coming back to her only   
in dreams and nightmares. He had stayed by her side that first night, comforting   
her as she woke sobbing from the images that emerged from the darkness. He had   
been reluctant to leave her side ever since, never straying too far away from   
the sound of her voice. Not that he had any desire to be away from her, it was   
just twice as hard now to let her out of his protective sight.   
  
  
  
"Hey there, lovebirds!"  
  
  
  
Heero groaned and Relena kissed his cheek, giggling, as Duo came bounding over   
to them, Hilde in tow.   
  
  
  
"Relena!" She called, excitedly. "I've got something for you!"  
  
  
  
Relena sat up as her friend came running over, her hands hiding something behind   
her back. Heero rolled up on his elbow, watching them.   
  
  
  
"What is it?" Relena asked, curiously. Hilde laughed.   
  
  
  
"This!" And she threw something to her friend. Relena caught it and her eyes   
widened, glittering with sudden tears.   
  
  
  
"Hilde, I..." She trailed off, totally overcome, because in her hands was a   
slightly singed teddy bear. The very same one that Heero had given to her so   
long ago. She tried again. "Where...how...?"  
  
  
  
"It was buried under a section of steel wall reinforcements so it mostly   
protected from the fire. I don't know why it was still in the palace, but..."   
She trailed off, shrugging. "Maybe it's a miracle."  
  
  
  
"Yes," Relena said, clutching the bear and meeting Heero's soft look. "Maybe it   
is."  
  
  
  
and who can say where the road goes  
where the day flows  
only time  
  
  
  
who knows, only time  
who knows, only time  
  
  
  
  
  
Fight against the chains that bind you   
So the world may see your light  
and be guided.   
  
  
  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
BIG HUGE THANKYOU to my wonderful beta reader, RiverDolphin!   
You are awesome! *hug*  
  
*smiles cheerfully* well, everyone happy? I hope so, this took a while to write.   
Thanks to everyone who had kept up with this fic, I love you all! I've got some   
ideas for a new story bouncing around in my head so keep a lookout! Have a   
wonderful day!  
  
  
  
Note to Jason: hey, have you uploaded recently? I hope I'm not getting behind on   
your stories! *hugs*   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own GW or the song "Only Time" by enya. No money here,   
folks!  
  
  
  
Please review! *hands you a cookie* thanks!  
  
  



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